UMASS/AMHERST 


31EDt.bD0S3Dm43 


FIVE  COLLEGE 
DEPOSITORY 


^^'«# 


it^'^^" 


OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 

AGRICULTURAL 

'^OTXEGE 


it 


:^^ft.AV4^ 


c-^fe.  \Vi 


J^-ir- 


DATE  DUE                          1 

■  ''i'} 

fh).. 

:  Jil 

Kj'K^i/' 

» 

UNIVERSITY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 
LIBPIARY 


i" 

^ 


ST'TT, 


.7^.1  <>iC-VT, 


r^  i-\  .  . 


::yi-^-/^.  o^^ir '"■«"i^i^!:^5r. 


4u>. 


101 
Dl 

n 

n 

n 
u 
n 
n 

n 

m. 
mi 
nu 


EIGHT  FIGURES, 

TWENTY-FIVE  CENTS. 


A]yEBE.XCAN  MANlTAIi 


OF    THE 


GRAPE  VINES 


AND   THE 

ART  OF   MAKING  WINEs 

INCLUDING 

An  Account  of  62  Sfieciea  of  Vines,  ivUh  nearly  "00 
varieties.  An  account  of  the  princifial  Wines,  Ame- 
rican and  Foreign.  Frofierties  and  uses  of  TVines 
and  Gra/ies.  Cultivation  of  Fines  in  America  ;  and 
the  Art  U;  make  good  Wines. 


WITH  8  FIGURES. 


BY  C.  S.  RAFIXESaUE,  A.  M.  PH.  D. 

PftOFEPSOR  OF   tfATHRAr.   HISTOET,  PRACTICAL  AND   MEDI- 
CAL   60tA>¥,  &C.  I.V    PHILADELPHIA;  MEMBER   OF 
TWELVE   LEARNED  SOCIETIES  IN  AMERICA 
AKD   EUROPE  J   AUTHOR   OP  MANY 
WORKS,  &C.  &C.  &C. 


Let  every  Farmer  drink  his  own  Wine, 

PHILADEIiPHIA: 

PRINTED  FOR  THE  AUTHOR. 


(9 12..     , 


A^ 


Fig.  I.  or  A.  VITIS  SAXATILIS,  Sp.  3. 

Far.  Longipes. 

Fig. II. or B.  VITIS  LONGIFOLIA,  Sp,2l. 
Fig.  III.  or  C.  VITIS  ACERIFOLIA,  *Si&.23. 
Fig.  IV.  or  D.  VITIS  ANGULATA,  Sp  32. 


Fig.  V.  or  E.  VITIS  CILIATA,  Sp,  20. 

Fig.  VI.  orF.  VITIS  PROLIFERA,  Sp.  40. 
Fiar.  Isabella. 

Fig.VII.  or  G.  VITIS  MULTILOBA,  Sp.4. 

Fig.  VIII.  or  H.  VITIS  BLANDA,  Sp.  19. 


-    AMERICAN  MANUAL 

OF   THE 

GRAPE  VINES. 


Botanical  name  VITIS. 
French  name  VIGNE,  the  grape  Faisin. 
German  name  REBE,  the  grape  Trauhe. 
Italian  name  VITE,  the  grape  Uva. 

Genus  Vitis.  Perfectly  trioical.  Calyx  cuplike,  5 
lobed  before  the  flowers  expand,  entire  afterwards.  Co- 
rolla of  five  petals  oblong  obtuse  hooded,  adheringat  the 
summit.  Five  long  stamina  opposed  to  the  petals.  Pistil 
on  a  glandular  disk,  a  stigma  subsessile,  capitate  entire. 
Berry  one  celled,  2  to  5  seeds  obcordate.  Woody  vines 
with  alternate  petiolate  and  stipulate  leaves;  tendrils 
and  thyrsoidal  racemes  of  flowers  andfruits,  opposite  ta 
the  leaves. 

HISTORY.  I  propose  to  give  here  a  monography  of 
the  North  American  Grape  Vines.  The  subject  is  new 
and  obscure.  The  botanical  species  are  scarcely  indi- 
cated, and  their  numberless  varieties  have  been  over- 
looked by  our  best  writers.  I  have  ascertained  about 
40  species  and  100  varieties,  but  I  must  confess  that  it 
is  not  always  easy  to  say  whether  one  or  the  other.  I 
was  once  inclined  to  consider  all  our  Grapes  (like  our 
Strawberries)  as  varieties  of  a  single  species,  the  Fitis 
vinifera  of  the  old  Continent,  and  it  must  be  so,  unless 
that  kind  is  also  divided  into  others,  such  as  V.  labrii- 
sea,  V.  laciniosa,  V.  aurea,  V.  farinosa,  V.  aira,  V. 
corinthiaca,  &tc.  to  distinguish  the  wild,  cut-leaved, 
mealy,  black,  and  Currant  Vines  of  Europe.  While 
all  these  have  been  united  to  V.  vinifera,  our  native 
Grapes  had  been  made  into  8  or  10  species,  which  dif- 
fer less  than  those,  and  can  hardly  be  distinguished  from 
them,  in  an  exclusive  point  of  view,  except  by  their 
more  permanent  polygamy.  My  attempt  to  classify  our 
Vines  is  therefore  arduous,  many  species  being  described 
by  authors  under  the  same  name ;  but  I  hope  will  be 
A 


6  VITIS,  OR 

useful  in  making  them  known,  and  may  lead  to  a  better 
one  when  all  may  be  examined  on  my  plan.  Many  va- 
rieties have  no  doubt  escaped  my  researches,  they  abound 
in  the  woods,  since  the  seeds  do  not  always  re-produce 
the  identic  kind,  and  Major  Adlum  has  stated  to  me  to 
have  seen  200  varieties  at  least :  some,  however,  differ 
but  slightly  ;  my  enumeration  is  ample  enough  to  in- 
clude all  the  piincipal  kinds.  My  distinguishing  cha- 
racters will  be  taken  from  all  the  parts,  branches,  pe- 
tioles, leaves,  flowers,  and  fruits.  I  will  thus  offer  what 
has  hardly  been  done  yet  for  the  Grapes  of  Europe, 
Asia,  and  Africa ;  it  will  be  the  result  of  my  observa- 
tions during  many  years  and  many  thousand  miles  of 
travels.  Our  vines  being  all  wild  (except  a  few  trans- 
planted in  gardens)  exhibit  the  spontaneous  operation  of 
nature  and  hybridity  in  this  fine  and  valuable  genus. 

The  following  are  the  jienera  akin  to  Fitis,  and  be- 
longing to  the  same  natural  order  of  Sarmentacea,  distin- 
guished by  Stamens  equal  in  number  to  the  petals  ;  op- 
posed to  them  and  inserted  on  a  hypogynous  disk:  one 
pistil  and  stigma,fruit  a  berry. 

1.  G.  Cisstis.  L.  Calvx  entire.  Petals  4,  not  coherent. 
Stamens  4,  disk  cup-like.  Berry  one  seeded.  Many 
tropical  species. 

2.  G.  Ampelopsis.  Mx.  Calyx  5  toothed.  Petals  5, 
not  coherent  nor  hooded.  Stamens  5.  Disk  cup-like 
lobed.  Short  style.  Berry  2  locular,  2  or  4  seeded.  .R. 
bipinnata,  (F.  arborea,  L.)  and  *5.  cordifolia  of  North 
America. 

3.  G.  Quinaria.  Raf.  Calyx  4  or  5  lobed.  Petals  4  or 
5  hooded,  not  coherent.  Stamens  4  or  5.  Disk  as  in  Vi- 
lis.  A  style.  Berry  4  locular,  4  seeded.  Q.  hederacea, 
(or  Ampelopsis  quinqiiefolia)  and  Q.  hirsiita  of  North 
America. 

4.  G.  Causonis.  Raf.  Calyx  4  toothed.  Petals  4,  hood- 
ed, not  coherent.  Diak  4  lobed,  with  4  sterile  filaments 
alternate  with  the  lobes.  Stamens  4.  Style  filiform. 
Berry  one  seeded.  The  V.trifolia  and  V.japonica  be- 
long here. 

The  F.  /jcfero;)%//a  of  Thunberg  does  not  even  belong 
to  tliis  order,  but  to  the  same  as  Hedera  or  Ivy.  I  call 
it  G.  Allosampela.  Calyx  superior  persistent,  with  5  ob- 


GRAPE  VINES.  7 

tuse  teeth.  Petals  5,  oval  concave  hooded.  Disk  5  fur- 
rowed. Stamens  5,  inserted  in  the  furrows.  Pistil  infe- 
rior adherent,  style  filiform.  Berry  pisiform  crowned,  2 
locular,  2  or  4  seeds  obcordate. 

Several  species  of  Tltis  are  of  doubtful  g;enus,  the 
flowers  not  having  been  noticed,  such  as  T.  pinnata, 
Vahl.  F.  pentaphylla,  Th.  (perhaps  a  Quinaria)  V.  ca- 
pensis  and  V.  cirrhosa  of  Thunberg,  V.  lucida  of  Aus- 
tralasia, &c. 

Of  the  true  species  of  Vitis,  the  greatest  number  are 
native  of  North  America.  The  V.  indica  (under  whose 
name  many  species  or  varieties  are  also  blended)  and. 
V.  heptaphylla  are  from  tropical  climates  ;  while  the 
V.  vinifera  or  common  Wine  Grape,  with  its  numerous 
varieties,  are  found  in  temperate  climates,  from  China 
to  Spain  and  Barbary.  Several  other  species  hardly 
known  are  found  in  Africa  and  Asia.  After  enumerating 
our  American  vines,  I  shall  briefly  notice  these  other 
Grapes,  since  all  are  interesting  as  useful,  viniferous  and 
economical. 

For  the  sake  of  perspicuity,  this  subject  shall  be  di- 
vided into  5  parts  or  sections.  1.  Account  of  our  vines. 
2.  Account  of  foreign  vines.  3.  Properties  and  use  of 
vines  and  grapes.  4.  Cultivation  of  vines  in  America. 
5.  Principles  of  the  art  to  make  good  wine. 

Section  1.  North  American  Grape  Vines. 
The  number  is  so  great  that  some  arrangement  is 
needful  ;  I  have  long  sought  for  the  most  constant  dis- 
tinguishing marks,  and  have  at  last  decided  to  use  those 
afforded  by  the  shape  of  the  fruit  and  under  surface  of 
the  leaves  as  most  striking  and  least  variable  ;  but  I  am 
by  no  n\eans  confident  that  they  are  the  best.  I  have 
thus  3  series  of  vines  with  globular  berries.  l.With  leaves 
tomentose  arachnoidal  and  colored  beneath.  2.  Leaves 
pubescent  beneath.  3.  Leaves  perfectly  smooth  beneath, 
and  a  4th  series  with  fruit  not  globular.  All  our  Ame- 
rican vines  agree  in  being  humble  trailing  vines  in  their 
youth,  but  susceptible  to  live  from  100  to  300  years,  and 
to  become  very  large,  as  tall  as  the  tallest  trees  that 
support  them  :  the  bark  is  fibrous,  the  wood  hard, 
branches  knotty,  leaves  very  variable,  but  always  more 


8  YITIS,  OR 

or  less  cordate  or  reniforin  at  the  base,  and  toothed  on 
the  margin,  with  five  branched  nerves  and  deciduous 
stipules.  Flowers  in  bunches,  thyrsoidal  or  paniculate, 
small,  more  or  less  fragrant,  greenish  yellow,  complete 
or  pistiliferous  or  staminiferous,  on  3  different  indivi- 
duals, blossoming  in  May  and  June.  Fruit  from  the  size 
of  a  pea  to  that  of  a  plumb. 

I.  Series.  Frondarania.  Raf.  Berries  globular  or  de- 
pressed. Leaves  tomentose  beneath,  tomentum  arach- 
noidal colored,  yellow,  fulvous,  rufous,  rusty,  white, 
cinerous  or  glaucous. 

1.  Sp.  Vitis  fulva,^?S.  ( F.  esf/uaZis  of  many  botanists, 
not  of  Mx.  nor  Elliot.)  Yellow  Grape.  Branches  tomen- 
tose. Petioles  shorter.  Leaves  broad  cordate,  3  or  5  lobed, 
unequally  dentate,  sinusses  rounded,  yellow  or  fulvous 
beneath.  Racemes  oblong.  Berries  round  and  small.  It 
grows  from  Canada  to  Virginia,  on  rocky  river  banks. 
The  leaves  become  smoother  when  old  ',  the  fruits  are 
commonly  of  a  deep  bluish  purple,  and  are  ripe  in  Au- 
gust. The  varieties  are  :  1.  Slnuata,  leaves  sinuate  pal- 
mate, coarsely  toothed.  2.  Qmnqueloba,  all  the  leaves 
with  5  lobes.  3.  CoraUina,  leaves  yellow  beneath,  fruit 
larger,  of  a  fine  red  color  and  delicious  taste.  In  Vir- 
ginia, perhaps  a  peculiar  species,  called  Red  Grape  and 
Coral  Grape. 

2.  V.  ursina,  Raf.  Raccoon  Grape.  Branches  striated, 
fulvous  toinentose.  Petioles  shorter  fulvous  tomentose. 
Leaves  reniform  5  lobed,  base  reniform,  sinusses  round- 
ed, lobes  oval  acuminate,  Avith  a  few  large  teeth,  pubes- 
cent above,  rusty  gray  beneath,  nerves  fulvous.  From 
Ohio  to  Louisiana  and  Texas,  near  streams,  called  Bear 
and  Raccoon  Grape,  because  greedily  eaten  by  these 
animals.  Grapes  of  middle  size,  commonly  purplish, 
ripe  in  September  and  October.  Young  leaves  rusty  be- 
neath. Var.  1.  CerMZea,  berries  dark  blue.  2.  Prolifera. 
3.  Repens.  4.  Mba.  5.  Hcterophylla.   6.  Triloba. 

3.  V.  saxatilis,  Raf.  Stony  Grape.  See  figure  I.  or 
A.  for  variety  Zon^ipes.  Branches  flexuose  nearly  smooth. 
Petioles  villose  variable.  Leaves  variable  cordate,  often 
trilobed,  lobes  divaricate  ovate  acuminate,  with  distant 
acute  teeth,  sinusses  rounded,  rugose  and  pilose  above, 
gray  beneath.    Among  stones  in  Arkansas  and  Texas, 


GRAPE  VINES.  9 

Many  varieties  :  1 .  Longipes,  branches  fulvous  hairv. 
Petioles  very  long,  rusty.  Leaves  trilobe,  base  reniform. 
2.  Media.  Petioles  shorter.  Leaves  ovate  3-5  lobed,  base 
acute  cordate.  S.Blandina.  Petioles  long.  Leaves  cordate 
trifid,  base  acute  cordate,  lobes  near  or  even  overlaping, 
as  in  V.  blanda.  Perhaps  several  species,  but  leaves  of- 
ten variable  on  same  vine.  Grapes  good. 

4.  V.  multiloba.  Raf.  Dissected  vine.  See  figure  VII. 
or  G.  Branches  tomentose  rusty.  Petioles  very  short, 
round,  tomentose  rusty.  Leaves  palmate  multilobe, 
base  oval  acute,  sinusses  oboval  rounded,  segments 
bilobe,  the  middle  ones  trilobe,  lobes  oval  lanceolate 
acute,  with  but  few  acute  teeth,  pubescent  above,  rusty 
glaucous  beneath,  nerves  rusty.  Found  on  the  Washita 
and  Red  River,  cultivated  at  Bartram's  garden.  Grape 
large,  good  and  sweet.  Var.  1.  Rubripes.  Petioles  red. 
Leaves  smaller,  5  lobed,  lobes  oval  entire  acuminate, 
without  lobes,  rusty  gray  beneath,  nerves  concolor.  Is  it 
a  peculiar  species  ? 

5.  V.  digitata.  Raf.  Hand-chick  Grape.  Petioles  equal 
rufous.  Leaves  palmate  5  lobed,  base  reniform,  sinusses 
very  broad,  lobes  lanceolate  unequal  toothed,  white  be- 
neath, nerves  rufous  stellate  hairy.  Berries  black  and 
small.  In  Virginia,  Carolina,  &c.  Grapes  similar  to  the 
Chicken  Grapes. 

6.  V.  bracteata,  Raf.  ( V.  labrusca,  VV"alter,  V.  estiva- 
lis,  Elliot.)  Sour  Grape.  Branches  and  petioles  tomen- 
tose. Leaves  broad  cordate,  rounded,  entire  or  lobed, 
toothed,  white  beneath.  Panicles  of  several  bracteated 
fascicles,  3-6  flore.  Berries  black  and  pisiform.  In  the 
Southern  States,  from  Carolina  to  Florida.  A  very  tall 
vine,  with  small  fruit  like  a  pea,  black,  very  acid  and 
austere. 

7.  V.  callosa.  Raf.  Canada  vine.  Branches  and  pe- 
tioles striated  pubescent.  Petioles  subequal.  Leaves  re- 
niform subtrilobe  acute,  with  minute  callous  denticles, 
lucid  above,  white  beneath,  nerves  rufous.  Raceme  com- 
pound. From  Canada  to  Pennsylvania,  in  hills.  Young 
leaves  pubescent  above,  smooth  when  grown.  Blossoms 
in  June.  Fruit  unknown, 

8.  V.  hyemalis.  Raf.  Winter  Grape.  Branches  groov- 
ed smooth.  Petioles  smooth,  very  short.  Leaves  cordate 

L  3 


10  VITIS,  OR 

subtrifid  acute,  with  unequal  obtuse  teeth,  smooth  above, 
pale  gray  beneath.  Racemes  small.  Berries  globular, 
purplish  black  and  small.  From  Canada  to  Ohio  and 
Virginia,  large  vine,  blossoms  in  July,  fruits  only  ripe 
after  frost,  in  small  bunches,  rather  dense,  of  an  acid 
bad  taste. 

9.  V.  serotina.  Raf.  Late  Grape.  Branches  procum- 
bent pilose,  sometimes  rooting.  Petioles  subequal  pubes- 
cent. Leaves  cordate  palmate,  5  lobed,  hardly  crenate, 
sinusses  rounded,  lobes  rounded  acuminate,  hairy  above, 
gray  beneath.  Berries  small  and  black.  From  Ohio  to 
Missouri  and  Kentucky,  in  glades,  near  streams.  Grape 
austere,  ripe  in  October.  Var.  1.  Eepens,  2.  Micracina. 
3.  Sangiiinarla.  Bloody  grape  of  Missouri.  Berries 
sweet,  black  outside,  red  inside. 

10.  V.  glareosa.  Raf.  Trailing  Grape.  Branches  pro- 
cumbent, trailing,  elongated  and  smooth.  Petioles  sub- 
equal  smooth.  Leaves  lemote,  cordate  sagittate,  broad, 
subtrifid,  serrate,  smooth  above,  white  beneath.  Berries 
bluish  black,  large  and  sweet.  This  is  the  summer  grape 
of  the  western  glades  or  barrens,  found  from  Illinois  to 
Florida.  Never  climbing,  fruit  very  sweet  and  fine,  as 
large  as  cherries,  ripe  in  August. 

'  11.  V.  laiifoHa,  Raf.  (F.  taurina,  Walt.  V.  luhrusca 
of  many  botanists,  but  very  different  from  V.  labrusca  of 
Europe.)  Fox  Grape.  Branches  slender  striated  pubes- 
cent. Petioles  *hort  hairy.  Leaves  ample  coriaceous,  cor- 
date oval,  lobes  approximated  at  the  base,  trifid  angular, 
denticulate,  wrinlcled  and  smooth  above,  white  beneath, 
nerves  yellow.  Racemes  small.  Berries  large,  depressed 
and  hard.  From  Canada  to  Florida  and  Louisiana,  call- 
ed by  many  names.  Fox  Grape,  Bullet  Grape,  Bull 
Grape,  Frost  Grape,  Tough  Grape.  In  woods  and  hedges, 
blossoms  in  June  and  July.  Leaves  ample,  rusty  beneath 
when  young.  Flowers  green,  peduncles  hairy,  a  short 
style.  Fruit  commonly  purple,  with  a  hard  skin  and  a 
tough  pulp,  taste  foxy.  Many  varieties  :  1 .  ./5/6 a,  ber- 
ries whitish.  2.  Nigra,  berries  black,  austere  and  harsh. 
3,  Fruniformis,  as  large  as  a  plumb,  of  a  deep  purple, 
fleshy  when  ripe,  called  Elkton  or  Plumb  Grape.  4.  Bu- 
brtty  smaller  red  grapes,  called  Red  Fox  Grape. 


GRAPE  VINES.  11 

12.  V.  labruscoides.  Mg.  and  Raf.  Sweet  Fox  Grape. 
Branches  round  and  smooth.  Petioles  subequal,  hardly 
pubescent.  Leaves  reniform  at  the  base,  tritid  or  quin- 
quefid,  acute,  with  unequal  acute  callous  teeth,  sinusses 
acute,  smooth  above,  glaucous  beneath.  Racemes  small. 
Berries  large,  depressed,  juicy  and  sweet.  From  New 
York  to  Virginia,  in  woods,  &c.  Large  vine,  fruit  dif- 
ferent from  the  last,  musky  rather  than  foxy,  skin  thick 
and  austere,  but  inside  Avhen  ripe  with  a  sweet  rich  juice. 
Var.  1.  iSerofina,  Frost  Grape,  purplish  black.  2.Fubra, 
Worthington  Grape,  smaller  berries,  juice  dark  red, 
sweet  and  rough.  3.  Pulposa,  Luffborough  Grape,  ber- 
ries very  large,  of  a  deep  purple,  pulp  dissolving  in  a 
sweet  musky  juice.  4.  Precox,  Early  Grape,  middle  size 
berries,  black,  with  a  white  bloom,  sweet  mu&ky  taste, 
ripe  in  July  in  Virginia.  5.  Major,  Big  Grape  of  the 
Catskill  mountains.  Berries  purplish  blue,  exceedingly 
large  (one  measured  by  Mr.  Eaton  vv^as  3  inches  around") 
fine  sweet  pulpy  juice.  All  highly  deserving  cultivation. 

13.  V.  riigosa.  Raf.  Roughleaf  Grape.  Branches  round 
and  smooth.  Petioles  similar,  subequal,  compressed. 
Leaves  cordate  5  lobed,  coriaceous  with  rounded  acute 
teeth,  lobes  acute,  very  wrinkled  above,  beneath  glau- 
cous. Racemes  elongate  compound.  From  New  York  to 
Ohio,  blossoms  in  June.   Fruit  unknown. 

14.  V.  c«nma.  Raf.  Dogs  Grape.  Branches  round  and 
smooth.  Petiole  striated  pilose  short.  Leaves  oval  cor- 
date, base  subreniform  acute,  end  subtrifid,  middle  lobe 
much  longer  deltoid  very  sharp,  teeth  small  broad  acute, 
smooth  above,  with  hairy  nerves,  glaucous  beneath,  with 
rusty  nerves.  From  Pennsylvania  to  Virginia,  &c.  Fruit 
large,  purple,  tough,  with  a  bad  foxy  taste,  hardly  edi- 
ble. Leaves  quite  ovate,  much  longer  than  bx-oad,  some 
large  8  inches  long,  6  broad,  petiole  4  inches. 

15.  V.  liUeola.  Raf.  Variable  Grape.  Branches  slen- 
der flexuose,  fulvous  tomentose.  Petioles  short  similar. 
Leaves  cordate  oval  acute,  base  acute,  sides  hardly  an- 
gular, nearly  entire,  denticulate  by  the  mere  jutting  of 
nerves,  smooth  deep  green  above,  yellow  tomentose  be- 
neath. Grapes  large,  depressed,  hard.  In  Pennsylvania, 
&c.     Leaves  small  4  inches  long,  3  broad,  petioles  2. 


12  VITIS,  OR 

Fruit  foxy,  tough.  Var.  1.  Yellow.  2.  White.  3.  Purple. 
4.  Red  Grapes. 

16.  V.  ferruginea.  Rusty  Grape.  Branches  rusty  to- 
mentose,  angular,  angles  obtuse.  Petioles  short,  rusty  to- 
tnentose.  Leaves  cordate  trifid  coriaceous,  base  sinus 
acute,  lobes  remote,  teeth  unequal  mucronate,  smooth 
above,  rusty  tomentose  beneath.  Fruit  large,  depressed, 
hard,  foxy.  In  Pennsylvania.  Leaves  as  broad  as  long, 
petioles  half  length,  called  Fox  Grape  as  well  as  the 
last.  Grapes  commonly  pale  red,  or  white  tinged  of 
purple. 

17.  V.  bifida,  Raf.  Bifid  Grape.  Branches  smooth 
purple.  Petioles  subeqiial  pubescent.  Leaves  ample  co- 
riaceous, cordate  ovate  trilobe  acute,  end  mucronate, 
sinus  of  the  base  acute,  lobes  remote,  lateral  sinusses 
obtuse,  teeth  unequal  large  acute,  smooth  above,  rusty 
gray  beneath.  Racemes  bifid,  grapes  small  bluish  blact, 
acid.  From  Pennsylvania  to  Kentucky,  one  of  the  Chick- 
en Grapes.  Leaves  6  inches  long  and  broad. 

18.  V.  obliqtca,  Raf.  Sandhill  Grape.  Branches  slen- 
der, hairy,  angular,  angles  obtuse.  Petioles  very  short, 
hairy.  Leaves  obliqual  ovate  cordate  trifid  acuminate, 
base  cordate  acute,  lobes  near,  commonly  unequal,  teeth 
unequal,  very  small,  rugose  hairy  above,  glaucous  to- 
mentose beneath.  Berries  white,  sweet  and  juicy.  In  the 
sandhills  of  Arkansas  river  and  Oregon  mountains. 
Leaves  small,  3  inches  long,  2  broad,  petiole  only  one. 
Grapes  said  to  be  very  good.  Cultivated  at  Bartram's 
garclen.  Very  difterent  from  Sand  Grape,  variety  of  V. 
blanda,  and  more  like  V.  longifoHa. 

19.  V.blanda.B.a{.  See  figure  VIII.  or  H.  Bland  Grape. 
Branches  round  and  smooth.  Petioles  striated  pilose  sub- 
equal.  Leaves  nearly  square,  cordate  or  rather  split  at 
the  base,  sinus  narrow  acute,  with  lobes  overleaping; 
trifid,  sinusses  small  acute,  segments  acute,  the  terminal 
larger;  teeth  unequal  obtusely  mucronate;  smooth  above, 
glaucous  and  sparingly  arachnoidal  beneath,  with  rusty 
nerves.  Racemes  compound.  Berries  large  and  sweet. 
From  Pennsylvania  to  Louisiana.  One  of  the  most  com- 
monly cultivated  as  best  for  eating  and  wine  :  the 
bunches  are  large,  the  berries  as  large  as  the  commoa 
wine  grape  of  Europe,   commonly  pale  purple,  with  a. 


GRAPE  VINES.  l3 

thin  gkin  and  white  sweet  musky  juice.  Many  names 
given  to  it,  Madeira  Grape,  although  a  true  native,  Maz- 
zei  Grape,  Powell  Grape,  Clifton  Grape,  &c.  The  rai- 
sins de  Cote,  or  Sand  Grape  of  Louisiana,  appear  only 
a  variety.  The  leaves  are  arachnoidal  at  first,  but  often 
become  nearly  smooth  when  old.  Many  var.  1.  Flava, 
grapes  of  a  yellow  white.  2.  Viridis.  Green  Bland.  Fruit 
smaller,  green  when  ripe,  yet  sweet  and  juicy,  ripens 
early  in  July  near  Catskill  mountains.  3.  Caroliniana. 
Smaller  grapes.  4.  Arenaria.  Sand  Grape  of  Louisiana 
and  Arkansas.  Leaves  nearly  smooth,  except  nerves  be- 
neath, but  similar  in  shape,  grapes  dark  blue,  very 
sweet,  skin  thicker.  5.  Heteroloba.  Oddleaf  Grape. 
Leaves  with  unequal  lobes  at  the  base  and  top,  base 
lobes  approximated  or  overleaping,  upper  lobes  larger 
unequal  sharp,  with  large  teeth.  In  Ohio.  Perhaps  some 
are  peculiar  species.  - 

20.  V.  ciliata.  Raf.  See  figure  VI.  or  E.  Elsinburg 
Grape.  Petioles  striated  hairy  subequal.  Leaves  ovate 
cordate  5  lobed,  base  with  remote  lobes,  sinusses  and 
lobes  narrow  acute,  teeth  large  remote  ciliolate,  hairy 
above,  dirty  gray  beneath,  nerves  fulvous  gray.  Berries 
blue,  large,  very  sweet  and  juicy.  Found  in  New  Jer- 
sey. Begins  to  be  cultivated,  fruit  as  sweet  as  sugar, 
somewhat  like  the  Bland  Grape,  but  blue,  and  leaves 
totally  different. 

II.  Series.  Lasijna.  Berries  globular  or  depressed. 
Leaves  more  or  less  hairy  beneath,  or  at  least  on  the 
nerves,  but  neither  arachnoidal  nor  tomentose. 

£1.  V.  longifolia.  Raf,  See  figure  II.  or  B.  Petioles 
short  and  hairy.  Leaves  oblong  cordate,  sinus  of  the 
base  rounded,  hardly  trifid,  or  with  two  longer  teeth 
near  the  middle,  end  acuminate  falcate,  unequal  sharp 
teeth,  pubescent  above,  liairy  and  gray  beneath.  Berries 
blue  and  sweet.  In  Arkansas  and  Texas,  bearing  fine 
blue  grapes,  very  sweet.  Cultivated  by  Mr.  Hulin,  in 
Philadelphia.  Leaves  small,  about  4  inches  long,  less 
than  3  broad,  petiole  2  inches  :  branches  slender,  round 
and  smooth  :  old  leaves  nearly  smooth. 

22.  V.  dimidiata.  Raf.  Orwisburg  Grape.  Branches 
slender  striated  smooth.  Petioles  subequal  slender,  stri- 
ated and  nearly  smooth.    Leaves  thin,  oval  reniform  tri- 


14  -  VITIS,  OR 

fid,  elongate  acuminate,  teeth  large  unequal  acuminate, 
smooth  above,  glaucous  beneath,  sparingly  pilose,  chiefly 
on  the  nerves.  Berries  depressed  and  sweet.  Found  near 
Orwisburg,  on  the  Schuylkill,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  cul- 
tivated in  gardens.  Leaves  very  thin,  pretty  large,  about 
5  inches  long  and  4  broad.  Grapes  very  good.  3  Varie- 
ties, white,  purple,  and  black.  This  species  appears  to 
answer  completely  to  the  description  of  the  J^.  riparia 
of  Poiret,  (not  of  the  otliers)  which  was  the  Vigne  des 
Battures  of  Louisiana,  and  thus  this  fine  grape  is  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Louisiana.  Nerves  marginal  at  the  base. 

23.  V.  acerifolia.  Raf.  See  figure  IIL  or  C.  Mapleleaf 
Grape.  Trailing.  Petioles  very  short,  striated,  pilose, 
redish.  Leaves  reniform  trifid,  base  dilatate,  nerves 
not  marginal  :  sinusses  acute,  segments  acuminate  fal- 
cate, teeth  very  large,  unequal  and  sharp,  smooth  and 
pale  or  glaucescent  on  both  sides,  nerves  pubescent  above 
and  beneath,  margin  also  pubescent.  Brought  from  the 
Oregon  mountains  by  the  expedition  of  I^ong,  cultivated 
in  Bartram's  garden.  It  has  not  given  fruits  as  yet,  but 
they  are  said  to  be  very  good  and  juicy.  Leaves  very 
much  like  those  of  many  INIaples,  4  to  6  inches  long  and 
broad,  a  little  variable,  more  or  less  gashed,  sometimes 
sinusses  very  narrow,  that  of  the  base  sometimes  round. 

24.  V.  inontana,  Raf.  Mountain  Grape.  Branches 
decumbent,  round  and  smooth.  Petioles  round  and  smooth, 
longer  than  the  leaves.  Leaves  cordate  trifid  acute,  mem- 
branaceous, unequally  serrate,  smooth  and  lucid  above, 
pubescent  and  pale  beneath.  Berries  small  and  black. 
In  the  Alleghany  mountains  from  New  York  to  Carolina. 
A  small  trailing  vine,  near  to  V.  Odoratisima,  but  leaves 
larger,  petioles  longer,  flowers  hardly  odorous,  fruit 
hardly  good. 

25.  V.  concolor,  Raf.  Dwarf  Grape»  Branches  pro- 
cumbent green,  round  and  smooth.  Petioles  round, 
smooth,  exceedingly  short,  one  fourth  only.  Leaves  very 
thin,  ovate  acute  subangular,  base  reniform,  margin  sub- 
angular,  with  unequal  mucronate  teeth,  both  sides  green, 
lucid  sparingly  pilose.  Small  vine  trailing  on  the  ground, 
from  New  York  to  Missouri.  Petioles  only  one  fourth  of 
the  length  of  the  leaves.  Grapes  small,  blackish,  called 
Ground  Grape  and  Chicken  Grape  :  this  last  name  is 


GRAPE  VINES.  15 

given  to  all  the  small  black  Grapes,  as  Fox  Grape  to  all 
the  larg;e  and  tough  indifferently. 

26.  F.  columhina^  Raf.  Pidgeon  Grape.  Branches 
round,  smooth.  Petioles  round,  subequal  nearly  smooth. 
Leaves  palmate  5  lobed,  base  subreniform,  lobes  bilobe, 
terminal  trilobe,  lobules  unecjually  ovate  angular  acute, 
sinusses  rounded  notched,  teeth  remote  callose  :  upper 
surface  smooth,  beneath  nerves  pubescent  and  rusty. 
Racemes  slender.  Large  vine,  growing  from  New  York 
to  Louisiana,  in  woods,  somewhat  similar  to  V.  multilo- 
ba in  tlie  shape  of  the  leaves,  but  berries  small,  blackish, 
sweetish,  eaten  by  the  wild  pidgeons  like  man}^  others. 

£7.  V.  popidifolia,  H^if.  Poplar  Grape.  Branches  slen- 
der, green,  smooth  and  striated.  Petioles  short,  half  in 
length,  slender  striated,  pilose  above.  Leaves  ovate  del- 
toid, acuminate,  base  truncate  or  reniform,  end  hardly 
trifid,  acutely  serrate,  smooth  on  both  sides,  nerves  pi- 
lose above  and  beneath,  pale  beneath.  Fruit  small  and 
black.  Pennsylvania  and  Alleghany  mountains.  Leaves 
4  inches  long,  3  broad,  petioles  2.  Fruit  very  small,  bit- 
terish, bad  tasted. 

28.  V.  cordifolia,  Mx.  P.  N.  {V.vitlpina,  Torrey  and 
Eaton.)  Frost  Grape.  Branches  round  and  smooth.  Pe- 
tioles slender  subequal  pilose.  Leaves  cordate  acumi- 
nate, sometimes  angular,  unequally  serrate,  smooth  on 
both  sides,  nerves  pilose.  Racemes  loose  multitlore.  Ber- 
ries small,  pale,  acid.  In  woods  and  near  streams  from 
New  York  to  Carolina.  Leaves  three  to  four  inches 
broad.  This  is  one  of  the  Fox  Grapes  of  the  Northern 
States,  but  very  different  from  the  V.  latifolia,  V.  la- 
bruscoides,  and  the  Southern  Muscadine  Fox  Grapes. 
It  is  the  Winter  or  Frost  Grape  of  the  Southern  States  : 
they  are  small,  acid,  of  a  pale  or  amber  color. 

29.  V.  riparia  of  Pursh,  Elliot,  Torrey,  &c.  River 
Grape.  Branches  smooth  striated.  Petioles  striated  pi- 
lose subequal.  Leaves  small  reniform  trifid  acuminate, 
with  large  unequal  acute  teeth,  smooth  above,  hardly 
glaucous  beneath,  with  nerves  and  margin  pilose.  Ra- 
cemes compound.  Berries  small.  On  the  banks  of  streams 

"from  New  York  to  Carolina.  Flowers  very  sweet  scent- 
ed ;  the  sterile  plant  is  cultivated  under  the  name  of 
Bermuda  vine  and  Mignonette  vine,  for  the  profusion  of 


16  VITIS,  OR 

the  blossoms  sraelling  like  Reseda  odorata.    Var.  1.  Vi- 
ridis,  berries  greenish.  2.  Purpurea,  berries  purplish. 

III.  Series.  HypoJeia.  Berries  globular  or  depressed. 
Leaves  smooth  beneath,  but  commonly  pubescent  at  the 
axilla  of  the  nerves, 

30.  Sp.  V.  odoratissima,  Donn.  Sweet  scented  Grape. 
Branches  and  petioles  smooth,  not  striated.  Petioles 
short,  half  the  length.  Leaves  small  reniform  trifid,  sub- 
acuminate,  subangular,  unequally  incisile  toothed,  smooth 
and  green  on  both  sides,  axillas  of  nerves  bearded  be- 
neath. Racemes  pubescent,  lax,  compound.  Berries 
pisiform  and  sweet.  From  New  York  to  Kentucky, 
in  groves,  fields,  commonly  procumbent,  not  twining  : 
blossoms  in  May,  flowers  very  sweet,  like  V.  riparia, 
from  which  it  differs  by  the  petioles,  leaves  nearly  angu- 
lar laciniate,  not  pubescent  nor  ciliated.  !Many  authors 
have  united  it  to  V.  riparia.  Var.  l.jltropurpurea,  grapes 
purplish  black  acerb,  on  the  Ohio  and  Green  Rivers. 
2.  Purpurea,  grapes  purple  and  sweet,  in  Ohio.  3.  A'i- 
gra.  Petioles  equal  to  leaves,  grapes  black,  fine  flavor, 
in  Ohio.  4.  Alba.  Grapes  white,  in  New  York. 

31.  V.  Amara,  Raf.  Bitter  Grape.  Branches  striated 
and  smooth.  Petioles  very  short,  smooth,  purplish.  Leaves 
cordate  acuminate,  base  obtuse,  lobes  distant,  unequally 
toothed,  teeth  rounded  mucronate,  smooth  on  both  sides, 
pale  beneatl),  nerves  brown,  with  bearded  axillas.  Ber- 
ries small,  black  and  bitter.  Found  near  Philadelphia 
by  Mr.  Carr,  and  cultivated  in  Bartram's  garden.  Leaves 
about  6  inches  long,  6  broad,  petioles  2.  Berries  pisi- 
form, intolerable  bitter,  with  two  seeds  and  hardly  any 
pulp. 

32.  V.  vulpina  or  muscadina^  Raf.  ( V.  incisa,  Jaq.  V. 
vulpina,  L.,  Abbot,  Walter,  Smith.  V.  rofundifolia,Mx. 
P.  N.  Elliot.)  Muscadine  Grape.  Branches  pubescent 
Petioles  subequal  smooth.  Leaves  cordate  acute,  une- 
qually toothed,  smooth  and  shining  on  both  sides,  nerves 
bearded  at  the  axilla.  Racemes  with  many  capitvdes. 
Fruit  depressed,  large,  juicy.  From  Virginia  to  Florida 
and  Texas,  near  streams  chiefly.  It  bears  a  multitude  of 
vulgar  names,  such  as  Muscadine,  Bullet,  Fox  and  Scu- 
pernong  Grape  :  the  confusion  in  the  botanical  names  is 
as  bad,  and  as  they  do  not  apply,  I  have  changed  them 


GRAPE  VINES.  17 

all.  As  I  have  not  seen  this  species,  I  have  chiefly  relied 
on  Elliot's  description.  The  leaves  are  2  or  3  inches 
long  and  broad.  It  blossoms  in  July  and  August :  6  to 
8  flowers  to  the  branches  of  the  racemes.  The  fruit  is 
large,  7  to  9  lines  in  diameter,  oblate  spheroidal  or 
flattened,  with  a  thick  skin,  purplish  or  bluish  black ; 
taste  pleasant,  sweet  and  musky,  makes  a  very  good 
wine. 

33.  V.  angulafa,  Raf.  See  tab.  99,  fig.  D.  Angular 
Grape.  Branches  cespitose,  stiff,  angular  and  striated, 
smooth  and  purple.  Petioles  subequal  slender  subpilose. 
Leaves  small  cordate  rounded  obtuse,  with  a  few  large 
lobular  obtuse  teeth,  base  acute,  lobes  divaricate,  shin- 
ing on  both  sides,  axilla  of  thenerves  bearded,  margin 
subpilose.  Fruit  black,  sweet  and  juicy.  From  Carolina 
to  Arkansas  and  Texas,  in  glades,  forming  a  bush,  sel- 
dom climbing.  Cultivated  at  Bartram's  garden.  Many 
vulgar  names,  Arkansas,  Bushy,  Currant,  and  False 
Scupernong  Grape.  Leaves  hardly  bigger  than  a  dollar, 
sometimes  purplish  beneath  :  the  young  ones  sparingly 
pilose  on  the  nerves  beneath,  as  in  the  series  Lasipia. 
Old  leaves  nearly  smooth,  angles  of  the  stem  acute,  fruit 
small,  good. 

34.  V,  verrucosa,  Raf.  Warty  Grape.  Branches  round, 
stiff,  smooth,  warty  or  dotted.  Petioles  short,  smooth. 
Leaves  broad  reniform  acute,  with  large  acute  teeth, 
base  subtruncate  reniform,  both  sides  lucid  and  smooth. 
Berries  large,  sweet,  and  juicy.  From  Carolina  to  Ar- 
kansas. This  is  another  of  the  Scupernong  Grapes  ;  this 
name  is  given  in  Carolina  to  all  the  good  juicy  grapes. 
Leaves  2  inches  broad,  1^  long,  petioles  1  inch.  The 
fruit  is  white,  sweet  and  good. 

35.  V.  pettata,  Raf.  or  V.  floridana.  Florida  Grape. 
Petioles  short  and  smooth.  Leaves  drooping,  ovate  cor- 
date acute,  base  subpeltate,  split  acutely,  lobes  approxi- 
mated, large  acute  teeth  all  around,  smooth  and  green 
on  both  sides,  beneath  nerves  reticulated  prominent  with 
bearded  axillas.  A  very  singular  species,  lately  found  in 
Florida,  and  communicated  to  me  by  Mr.  Halsey.  The 
leaf  is  very  small,  I5  inch  long,  one  broad,  petioles  half 
of  the  leai :  a  prominent  net  work  beneath,  formed  by 

B 


IS  VITIS,  OR 

prominent  nerves  instead  of  veins,  as  usual.     Fruit  un- 
known. 

36.  V.  integrifolia,  Raf.  lior.  Louis,  1817.  Orbicular 
Grape.  Leaves  orbicular,  entire,  base  hardly  cordate, 
no  teeth  nor  lobes.  A  doubtful  species,  inserted  on  the 
authority  of  Robin,  but  hardly  described  by  him.  From 
Louisiana. 

37.  V.  poiretia,  Raf.  ( V.  vulpina,  Poiret.)  Chicken 
Grape.  Leaves  ample  cordate,  entire  trilobe  or  5  lobed, 
lobes  distant  at  the  base,  lobes  angular  acuminate,  une- 
qually toothed.  Both  sides  smooth,  pale  beneath,  with 
yellow  veins.  Racemes  with  many  ombellules,  with  a 
linear  lanceolate  bract.  Berries  small  and  black.  This 
species,  which  Poiret  describes  as  the  V.  vulpina  of  L. 
is  totally  different  from  it,  and  I  strongly  suspect  only 
a  variety  of  my  V.  bracteata,  improperly  described  as 
smooth  beneath 

38.  V.  palmafa,  Vahl,  P.  Imate  Grape.  Branches 
smooth  purple.  Leaves  palmate  cordate,  segments  lan- 
ceolate acute,  lateral  ones  with  lanceolate  teeth,  the  ter- 
minal serrate.  Raceme  oblong  and  short.  Only  described 
and  seen  by  Vahl,  grown  in  Europe  from  seeds  sent  from 
America.  Perhapsa  variety  of  my  V.  multiloba.  Stipules 
lanceolate.  Raceme  only  one  inch  long. 

IV.  Series.  Aglobuiia.  Berries  not  globular  nor  de- 
pressed, but  oblong  or  oval,  as  commonly  in  V.  vinifera. 

39.  V.  Virginiana.  Poiret.  Virginia  Grape.  Branches 
smooth  and  red.  Leaves  coriaceous,  ovate  cordate  5 
lobed,  lobes  unequal  rounded,  terminal  large  acuminate, 
teeth  unequal  short  acute,  above  lucid,  beneath  with  pu- 
bescent nerves.  Berries  oval.  Described  by  Poiret  from 
garden  specimens,  sent  by  Mr.  Kingston  from  the  Poto- 
mac. Racemes  nearly  simple,  pedicels  slender.  Berry 
of  middle  size,  of  an  oval  round  shape. 

40.  V.  prohfera.  Raf.  (See  tab.  100,  fig.  F.)  Prolific 
Grape.  Branches  substriated,  subpilose.  Petiole  short, 
pilose.  Leaves  cordate  acute,  of  a  square  form,  trifid, 
trilobe  or  5  lobed,  base  acute  with  distant  rounded  lobes, 
upper  lobes  and  sinusses  variable,  margin  acute  serrate 
above  smooth,  beneath  cuierous  tomentose,  nerves  ful- 
vous. Racemes  compound  proliferous.    Berries  large  el- 


GRAPE  VINES.  19 

Tiptical.  A  very  interesting  and  valuable  species,  with 
many  varieties,  and  a  multitude  of  vulgar  names,  such 
as  Alexander,  Tusker,  Schuylkill,  Madeira,  Muscadel, 
Clifton,  Legoux,  Cupe,  Isabella,  Catawba,  Tokay,  Mun- 
cy  Grapes,  &c.  all  belonging  to  one  kind,  although  form- 
ing several  varieties.  Thej  are  real  native  grapes,  found 
from  Pennsylvania  to  Carolina  and  Ohio,  in  woods.  The 
grapes  are  plentiful,  large,  fine,  with  a  tough  skin  and  a 
rich  sweet  juice.  Already  much  cultivated  and  valued 
for  eating  and  wine.  The  chief  varieties  are  :  1.  Vulga- 
ris. Alexander  Grape.  Petioles  longer,  leaves  larger,  va- 
riable on  the  same  vine,  often  lobed,  with  broad  ovate 
acute  lobes  and  narrow  obtuse  sinusses.  Fruit  blackish, 
as  large  as  the  end  of  a  finger.  2.  Isabella.  Isabella 
Grape,  figured  here.  Leaves  commonly  trifid,  fruit  large 
and  purple  :  found  in  North  Carolina.'  ^.  Media.  Clifton 
Grape.     Smaller  grape  than  the  first,  and  not  so  sweet 

4.  Catabiana.  Catawba  Grape,  from  North  Carolina. 
Leaves  large,  commonly  trilobe,  grapes  purple,  lilac  or 
white,  according  to  shade  and  exposure,  flavour  musky. 

5.  Prunoides.  Muncy  Grape.  Similar  to  the  Catawba, 
but  taste  different,  similar  to   that  of  Wild  Plumbs. 

6.  Ohiensis.  Ohio  Grape.  Grape  smaller,  white. 

41.  V.  obovata,  Raf.  Oboval  Grape.  Leaves  similar  to 
the  V.  prolifera,  on  long  petioles,  commonly  cordate,  tri- 
lobe acute,  sinusses  acute.  Berries  large  oboval.  From 
Pennsylvania  to  Virginia,  in  islands  and  banks  of  streams 
and  rivers.  Perhaps  variation  of  the  last ;  but  it  has  it- 
self many  varieties.  1.  Bupestris.  Large  vine,  with  loose 
branches,  grapes  purple,  very  juicy  and  sweet.  2.JVigra. 
Grapes  loose,  few,  obovate,  nearly  black,  very  sweet. 
At  the  head  of  the  Susquehannah.  3.  Pallida.  Grapes 
pale  red,  Alleghany  River.  4.  Prunoides.  Bluish  large 
grape,  like  a  Plumb. 

N.  B.  By  the  above  enumeration  of  our  Grapes,  I 
have  done  for  this  genus  what  Michaux  did  for  our  Oaks. 
Owing  to  the  great  confusion  of  former  authors,  and  the 
difficulty  of  comparing  the  leaves  and  fruits  of  all  the 
species,  it  is  hardly  as  perfect  as  I  should  wish.  Rigid 
botanists  may  perhaps  wish  to  reduce  these  species  to  a 
minor  number,  or  consider  some  as  hybrids  :  if  they  can 
find  good  permanent  collective  characters,  let  thein  re- 


go  VITIS,  OR 

(luce  our  Grapes  and  Oaks  to  a  dozen  species.  But  the 
angular  or  striated  branches,  the  long  or  short  petioles, 
the  oval,  cordate  or  reniform  leaves,  &c.  must  always 
be  deemed  essential  specific  characters,  and  several  of 
my  new  species,  such  as  V.  bracteata,  V.  angulata,  V. 
peltata^  T .  canina,  V.  blanda,  V.  longifolia,  V.  acerifo' 
lia,  V.  amara,  V.  prolifera,  &c.  must  be  deemed  very 
distinct.  It  remains  for  me  to  apply  the  same  principle 
to  the  Vines  of  the  old  continent,  which  I  shall  do  in  a 
very  concise  manner,  and  merely  as  an  illustration  of  the 
American  kinds. 

II.  Section.  Account  of  Exotic  Grape  Vines. 

42.  F.  vinifera,  L.  Common  Grape.  Branches  twining 
cylindric.  Petioles  subequal.  Leaves  cordate  sinuate  3 
or  5  lobed,  acute,  base  coi-date,  teeth  unequally  acute, 
green  on  both  sides.  Racemes  thyrsoidal  paniculated. 
Flowers  all  fertile,  pistil  turbinate.  Berries  ellipsoid. 
Native  of  central  Asia,  cultivated  all  over  the  world. 
A  multitude  of  varieties  and  names,  perhaps  as  many  as 
500 ;  the  utmost  confusion  has  been  thrown  on  the  sub- 
ject by  wi'iters,  and  no  general  classification  nor  syno- 
nymy attempted.  The  same  grapes  are  often  found  in 
France,  Spain,  Italy,  Greece  and  Asia,  under  yery  dif- 
ferent names.  In  this  dilemma,  I  can  only  ofier  a  first 
(and  perhaps  rude)  attempt  at  distinction  and  co-ordina- 
tion, and  thus  divide  the  principal  varieties  into  3  series, 
the  last  of  which  he  will  include  15  species  or  subspe- 
cies, so  diflerent  from  the  others  in  many  respects  as  to 
be  probably  peculiar  species ;  nay,  3  of  them,  V.  la- 
brusca,  V.  pinnata,  V.  /rtcmiosa,  have  been  so  considered 
by  many  botanists  already. 

I.  Series.   Berries  oblong,  elliptic,  or  sububoval. 

Var.l.Precox.Early  Grape.  Small  leaves  and  branches, 
grapes  small,  loose,  thick  skin,  juice  insipid,  pulp  dry. 
Ripe  in  June  and  July. 

Var.  2.  Burgunclica.  Burgundy  Grape.  Leaves  semi- 
5  lobed,  red  beneath,  teeth  subequal.  Grapes  black  and 
sweet.  I.French.  2. Italian,  larger  and  sweeter.  S.Ger- 
man, least  sweet,  austere. 

Var.  3.  Edutis.  Chasselas  Grape.  Long  petioles  and 
lobes,  teeth  broad.    Only  goad  to  eat.    3  subvarieties  : 


GRAPE  VINES.  21 

1 .  Yellow  unequal  berries.  2.  Red.  3.  White-green, 
musky. 

Var.  4.  Moschata.  Muscat  Grape.  Leaves  5  lobed,  with 
unequal  segments  and  teeth,  bunches  long,  grapes  very 
sweet  and  musky.     6  subvarieties.   I.White.  2.  Green. 

3.  Yellow.  4.  Red,  rounder  grapes.  5.  Small  black. 
6.  Black  Constantia.  7.  Persian.  8.  Syracuse  red. 
9.  Gray.  10.  Lachryma  Christi,  black. 

Var.  5.  Zibiba.  Muscatel  or  Raisin  Grape.  Very  large, 
musky  delicious  flavor,  pulp  firm.     Sev.  var.  1 .  White. 

2.  Green.    3.  As  large  as  Walnuts,  from  Mount  Atlas. 

4.  Large  white,  from  Syria.  5. Black,  thick  skin.  6. Red, 
from  Greece.  7.  Malaga  white.  8.  Sicily  white.  9.  Dam- 
son Grape,  large  purple  like  a  Plumb. 

Var.  6.  Malvesia.  Malmsey  Grape.  Leaves  like  Mus- 
cat, grape  large,  juicy,  very  sweet,  not  musky.  1.  Ma- 
deira purple,  hard   skin.      2.   Sicily,  purple,  smaller. 

3.  Yellow. 

Var.  7.  Nigraria.  Claret  Grape,  with  thick  black  skin, 
commonly  a  bloom  on  it,  juicy  pulp,  not  musky.  Sub- 
variety  1.  Spanish.  2.  Italian.  3.  Calabrian.  4.  Tripoli 
large.  5.  Lombard  or  Canaan,  with  large  bunches  of  4 
to  10  lb.  weight.  6.  Claret  Grape,  small,  juice  red  like 
blood,  taste  harsh. 

Var.  8.  Violacea.  Purple  Grape.  Skin  commonly  thick, 
austere,  purplish,  pulp  firm  not  musky.  1.  Violet  color. 
2.  Light  purple.  3.  Spanish,  a  little  juicy.  4.  Small  and 
harsh.  5.  Smyrna,  very  large. 

Var.  9.  ^urea.  Golden  Grape.  Leaves  velvet-like 
above,  not  lobed,  glaucous  beneath,  berries  yellow  ob- 
long, perhaps  a  peculiar  species.  1.  Burgundy.  2.  Spanish 
large.  3.  Straw  Grape,  thick  vinose  juice,  delicious  per- 
fume, makes  the  fine  golden  Straw  Wine. 

Var.  10.  Versicolor.  Varied  Grape.  Leaves  variegated 
of  red,  yellow  and  green.  1.  Grapes  mixt  of  black  and 
white.  2.  White  and  red.  3.  Yellow  and  green.  4.  Alep- 
po black  and  white.  Curious,  but  indifferent.  Perhaps 
var.  of  V.  bicolor. 

Var.  11.  Greca.  Grecian  Grape,  glaucous  or  pale  co- 
lor, skin  rather  thick,  very  juicy,  not  musky,  hardly 
sweet.  2.  Blanquette  of  France.  2.  Medoc  3.  Malaga. 

4.  Cyprus.  5.  Grecian  bluish  white.  6.  White  Hamburg. 

B   2 


£2  VITIS,  OR 

7.  Teneriffe  or  Vidonia.  8.  Madeira  Vldonia,  producing 
the  strong  dry  Wine.  9.  Bagoal  of  Madeira,  sweeter. 
10.  Fayal.  1 1.  Sicily  Greca.  IS.Sicily  harsh.  IS.Graves. 
14.  White  bitterish.  15.  Rhenish  or  Hock.  16.  Lisbon. 
17.  Alpine  acid. 

Var.  12.  Perla.  Pearl  Grape.  Leaves  5  lobed,  much 
cut  up.  Grapes  oblong,  hard,  greenish.  1.  Large  Pearl. 
2.  Small  Pearl  3.  Sicily  Perna.  4.  White.  5.  Straw 
color. 

Var.  13.  Felina.  Cat's  Grape.  Small  pale  green,  soft, 
juicy,  disagreeable  taste. 

Var.  14.  Acetaria.  Verjuice  Grape.  Leaves  ample, 
nearly  round  j  grapes  ovate  oblong,  larger  green,  very 
acid. 

Var.  15.  Dulcis.  Sweet-Water  Grape.  Cojnmonly 
small,  with  a  very  thin  skin,  juice  very  thin  and  sweet, 
no  pulp.  I.White.  2.  Black.  3.  Tokay,  white,  delicious 
flavor.  4.  Blue  Tokay,  small  brownish,  with  a  blue 
bloom.  5.  Cotnar  of  Moldavia,  green,  makes  green 
w4ne.  6.  Nectar  of  Greece,  white  styptic.  7.  Persian. 

Var.  16.  Cuprea.  Coppery  Grape,  of  a  brick  or  copper 
color.  1.  Small  sweet.  2.  Large.   3.  Hard  and  harsh. 

IL  Series.  Berries  nearly  round,  but  yet  diameter 
a  little  less  than  the  length. 

Var.  17.  Oporto.  Portugal  Grape.  Leaves  large,  with 
unequal  lobes  and  deep  teeth  :  grapes  large  black,  with 
harsh  red  juice.  1.  Common,  leaves  4  or  5  lobed. 
2.  Short  bunch,  leaves  2  or  3  lobed.  3.  Etna  or  Mascali. 
4.  Dalmatian.  5.  Schiraz  in  Persia. 

Var.  18.  Tinto.  Tinto  Grape.  Similar  to  Oporto,  but 
with  sweeter  and  blacker  juice.  1.  Spanish  Tinto. 
2.  Tintilla.  3.  Alicant.  4.  Calabria.  5.  Grecian. 

Var.  19.  Tinctoria.  Coloring  Grape.  Leaves  5  lobed, 
deeply  toothed,  bunches  unequal  :  grapes  unequal  hard, 
red,  with  black  and  austere  juice.  Only  used  to  color 
other  wines. 

Var.  20.  Crassifolia.  Mansard  Grapes.  Leaves  large 
:md  thick,  with  small  teeth  ;  bunches  long  pyramidal, 
grapes  large  and  black.  1.  French.  2.  Asiatic,  bunches 
from  10  to  40lb.  weight.   3.  Grandifolia. 

Var.  21.  Velutina.  Velvet  Grape.  Leaves  trilobe, 
teeth  very  unequal  j  grapes  of  a  fine  velvet  black.  l.Ca- 
hors.  2.  Italian. 


GRAPE  VINES.  23 

Var.  22.  Syriaca.  Syrian  Grape.  Large,  of  a  delicious 
flavor,  juicy,  red  or  black.  1.  Damascus  black.  2.  Jeru- 
salem, red  musky.  3.  Morillon,  black  early.  4.  Morella 
of  Italy.  5.  Lisbon  juicy,  black.  6.  Black  Frontignac, 
musky,  smaller.  7.  Grisly,  mixt  of  red,  brown,  and 
yellow. 

V^ar.  23.  Malvagia.  Malvesy  Grape.  Similar  to  Malm- 
sey, but  rounder  and  musky,  white  or  yellow.  I.Cyprus. 
2.  Sicily.  3.  Yellow.  4.  Mingrelia  or  prolific,  bunches 
10  to  301b. 

Var.  24.  Laxa.  Loose  Grape.  Petioles  slender  and 
gray,  leaves  hardly  lobed,  unequally  sinuate  :  grapes 
large  white,  loose.  1.  Gouais  of  France.  2.  Persian. 

Var.  25.  Prolijica.  Prolific  Grape.  Leaves  thick,  hard- 
ly lobed,  sinuate  :  grapes  black,  not  sweet,  austere, 
middle  size  or  small.  1.  Common  gamet.  2.  Leaves  tri- 
iobe  smaller.  S.Grecian.  Are  great  bearers,  but  make  bad 
Wine,  and  spoil  the  good. 

The  above  include  all  the  chief  varieties  and  subva- 
rieties  of  what  I  consider  as  the  original  Wine  Grape. 
I  shall  next  enumerate  15  other  kinds,  commonly  con- 
sidered as  varieties,  but  widely  different  in  the  leaves, 
&c.  so  as  to  aftbrd  permanent  specific  distinctions.  I 
therefore  propose  them  as  species,  or  at  least  subspecies. 
Linnxus  deemed  also  the  V.  Zaanzosa  a  peculiar  species. 

III.  Series.  Vines  specifically  dilFerent  from  the  V. 
vinifera. 

43.  V.  labrusca,  Raf.  Wild  Grape.  Branches  trailing 
striated.  Petioles  subequal  pilose.  Leaves  ample  cor- 
date, 3  or  5  lobed,  v/hitish  beneath,  (white  when  young) 
smooth  above,  (hairy  when  young)  lobes  acute,  coarsely 
serrated.  Racemes  compound,  short  and  lax,  flowers  all 
fertile,  petals  pilose  at  the  top.  Berries  globular,  small, 
black  and  acid.  Native  of  Italy,  Greece,  Sicily,  Bar- 
bary,  &c.  the  only  wild  Grape  of  Europe,  deemed  by 
some  the  original  of  all  the  cultivated  Grapes,  by  others 
a  degenerated  kind  :  both  opinions  appear  false,  since  it 
is  known  by  history  that  the  Wine  Grape  came  from 
Asia,  and  that  it  does  not  change  into  Labrusca.  The 
blossoms  are  fragrant  as  in  our  V.  riparia,  and  the  ber- 
ries like  the  American  Chicken  Grapes,  quite  spherical, 
not  eatable  nor  suitable  for  Wine, 


24  VITIS,  OR 

44.  V.farinosa,  Raf.  Mealy  Grape.  Leaves  trilobe, 
lateral  lobes  bilobate,  covered  with  a  hoary  powder, 
downy  in  youth.  Racemes  short  compact.  Berries  oval. 
Var.  1.  Black  and  large.  2.  White  and  large.  S.White 
and  small.  Often  called  Miller's  Grape,  good  to  eat, 
makes  bad  Wine. 

45.  V.  carta,  Raf.  Hoary  Grape.  Petioles  thick  and 
red.  Leaves  hardly  5  lobed,  with  large  teeth,  green 
above,  white  tomentose  beneath.  Berries  round,  yellow- 
ish, sweet.  Var.  1.  Common.  2.  Rochelle,  leaves  5  lobed, 
grapes  round,  white,  sweet,  subacid,  thin  skin.  3.  Leaves 
trilobe  whiter,  yellow  grapes. 

46.  V.  bicolor,  Raf.  Black  and  white  Grape.  Petioles 
long.  Leaves  5  lobed  with  double  teeth,  white  tomen- 
tose beneath.  Berries  round  soft,  black  and  white  on  the 
same  bunch.    Is  it  a  variety  of  V.  cana  ?  and  is  V,  vini- 

fera  versicolor  a  variety  of  it  ? 

47.  F.  saccharina,  Raf.  Sugar  Grape.  Leaves  semi-. 
5  lobed,  villose  and  pale  beneath,  small  subequal  teeth. 
Racemes  small  conical  subsessile.  Berries  round  or  ob- 
long, very  sweet.  Var.  1.  Pineau  Grape.  Oblong  dense 
redish,  2.  Griset  Grape.  Bunch  deformed,  grape  round, 
gray,  perfumed. 

48.  V.  rufa,  Raf.  Mormain  Grape.  Leaves  palmate, 
pale  above,  nerves  rose  color,  villose  whitish  beneath. 
Berries  round  loose,  rufous,  sweet  and  fleshy. 

49.  V.  apiana,  Raf.  Muscadel  Grape.  Petioles  long. 
Leaves  lobed  laciniate,  teeth  acute,  glaucous  beneath. 
Berries  round,  white  or  rose.  Var.  1.  ^Iba.  2.  Rosea. 
3.  Parvifolia. 

50.  V.  punctata,  Raf.  Dotted  Grape.  Leaves  hardly 
trilobe,  deeply  toothed,  pale  and  smooth  beneath.  Ra- 
cemes short.  Berries  oval  acute,  white  dotted  of  yellow, 
very  sweet.  1.  Sauvignon  small.  2.  Puntillo,  larger. 

51.  V  succinea.  Ambrette  Grape.  Leaves  with  acumi- 
nate lobes  hardly  toothed,  smooth  beneath.  Berries  obo- 
val  musky,  transparent.  Var.  1.  Yellow.  2.  Blackish. 

52.  V.  turbinata.  Ciotat  Grape.  Leaves  5  parted  pal- 
mate laciniate,  teeth  elongate  acute,  smooth  beneath. 
Berries  oboval  musky.  Var.  l.Mlba.  9..Digitata.  3.  ^pi- 
folia,  leaves  cut  like  parsley,  grapes  red.    4.  Pyriform. 

Pear  Muscat. 


GRAPE  VINES.  '         25 

53.  V.  laciniosa,  lu.  Cutleaf  Grape.    Leaves  digitate, 

4  to  6  folioles  subpinnatifid,  unequal  obtuse,  pale  and 
smooth  beneath.  Racemes  simple  oval  pendulous.  Ber- 
ries rounded  sweet  and  acid.  Var.l.  White  oval.  2.White 
round  and  small.  3.  White  and  red.  4.  Grandifolia. 
5.  Dissecta. 

54.  V.pinnata,  Vahl.  Branches  smooth,  round  pur- 
plish. Leaves  M^ith  5  folioles,  ovate  petiolate  serrate 
smooth,  terminal  lobe  subsessile,  lower  ones  often  auricu- 
late  outside,  pale  and  smooth  beneath.  Racemes  twice 
compound,  partial  ombellulate.  Grape  not  knowntf'- Ge- 
nus doubtful,  folioles  2  inches  long. 

55.  V.  corinthiaca,  Raf.  Currants  Grape.  Leaves  large 

5  lobed,  lobes  laciniate  by  long  acute  teeth,  downj  be- 
neath. Berries  small  and  round.  Var.  1.  White.  2.  Red. 
3.  Transparent.  4.  Sultana  oi  Apjrena,  without  seeds. 
Native  of  Greece. 

56.  V.  maura,  Raf.  Morocco  Grape.  Leaves  subpal- 
mate?  teeth  long  acute,  smooth  beneath.  Berries  like  a 
heart,  unequal,  large.  Var.  1.  Violaceous.  2.  Tawny. 
3.  Very  large  purple.  Native  of  North  Africa,  Morocco 
and  Baibary. 

57.  V,  cylindrica,  Raf.  Long  Grape.  Leaves  ample, 
lobes  and  segments  very  unpqiiai.  Oculca  ojllndrioal, 
straight  or  curved,  commonly  acute,  with  hard  pulp  and 
two  acute  seeds.  Var.  1.  Olive  Grape,  oblong  cylindrical 
greenish.  2.  Long  cylindrical,  very  hard.  3.  Oblong, 
juicy,  white.  4.  Incurva.  Curved  yellow.  5.  Curved  ob- 
long obtuse,  green.  6.  Curved,  brick-red,  acute.  The 
French  call  this  grape  Cornichon,  the  Italians  Dattola 
and  Oliva.  It  is  very  good  to  eat,  but  rather  insipid  and 
not  good  for  wine  ;  grapes  one  or  two  inches  long. 

Here  ends  the  supposed  varieties  of  V.  vinifera^  and 
begins  the  series  of  tropical  Vines  or  Vjndica  of  authors. 

58.  V.  indica  of  Rheede,  L-  Malabar  Grape.  Leaves 
cordate  without  lobes,  smooth  beneath,  teeth  acute.  Ber- 
ries globular  and  red.  In  Malabar  and  India. 

59.  V.  flexuoso,  Thunberg.  Japan  Grape.  Branches 
smooth  in  zigzag.  Leaves  cordate  acute  serrate,  downy 
beneath.  Flowers  glomerate  in  long  panicles.  In  Japan, 
called  there  Itodori. 


26  VITIS,  OR 

60.  V.  glomerata,  Raf.  {K  indica  of  the  West  Indies.) 
Tropical  Grape.  Branches  gray  pubescent.  Petioles  long 
tomentose.  Leaves  oval  acuminate,  base  reniform,  denti- 
culate, cinereous  pubescent  beneath,  Racemes  tomentose 
pedunculate  glomerate  long.  Berries  glomerate  subses- 
sile,  globular  and  red.  In  Cuba,  Hajti,  &c.  The  grapes 
are  of  middle  size,  3-4  seeded,  edible- 

61.  F.  maritima,  Raf.  Seaside  Grape.  Leaves  cordate 
rounded,  acute  with  small  teeth,  tomentose  and  white 
beneath,  tendrils  floriferous.  Berries  small  globular  red, 
roughj.  harsh,  and  acid.  In  Jamaica  and  Yucatan,  on  the 
sea  siae.  Grapes  not  larger  than  currants  and  very  much 
like  them,  not  edible,  and  yet  make  a  good  Wine.  The 
twigs,  when  cut,  distil  a  cool  water.  Many  other  kinds 
of  Vines  appear  to  grow  in  tropical  climates,  perhaps 
different  from  these  4  last,  and  the  grapes  of  Mexico, 
Brazil,  Africa,  Abyssinia,  Persia,  Thibet,  China,  &c. 
have  never  been  described  as  yet.  The  3  south  African 
grapes  of  Thunberg,  V.  pentaphylla,  V.  capensis,  and  F. 
cirrhosa,  are  probably  species  of  Qidnaria  or  Cissiis- 

62.Another  species,  F.  heptaphylla,  L.  is  said  by  Smith 
to  be  merely  the  Aralia  sciodaphylla,  yet  by  Poiret's  de- 
scription it  is  a  true  Fitis,  although  it  has  the  habit  of 
Quinaria,  It  is  a  native  of  the  East  Indies.  Leaves  with 
7  folioles  (or  5  to  8)  ovate  entire,  panicles  branched, 
flowers  verticillate.  Calyx  5  toothed,  5  petals  cohering 
at  the  top.  5  stamens,  a  sessile  stigma  as  in  FitiS' 

III.  Section.  Qualities  and  Properties  of  Grape  Vines 
and  Wines. 
Eveiy  part  of  these  useful  Vines  is  valuable  and  avail- 
able. The  countries  where  they  are  a  staple,  boast  of 
being  blessed  above  all  others,  and  are  envied  by  their 
neighbours.  The  ancient  nations  have  cultivated  them 
from  the  most  remote  antiquity,  and  ascribe  their  intro- 
duction to  primitive  legislators  and  benefactors.  The 
Hindus,  Persians,  Armenians,  Arabs,  and  Jews  to  Na- 
husha  or  Noah.  The  Greeks  said  that  Bacchus  carried 
them  from  Asia  to  Greece  and  India,  Saturn  to  Crete, 
Orestes  son  ot  Deucalion,  to  Sicily,  Osiris  to  Egypt, 
Janus  to  Italy,  Geryon  to  Spain,  &c.  Their  various  uses 


GRAPE  VINES.  27 

were  known  very  early,  and  many  Wines  made  at  very 
early  periods. 

Vines  live  from  100  to  500  years,  when  allowed  full 
scope,  their  roots  and  steins  become  very  large,  some- 
times several  feet  in  circumference.  The  bark  is  used 
for  straps,  ropes,  baskets,  mats,  &c.  The  wood  of  the 
root  and  stem  is  very  hard,  and  has  a  fine  grain  ,•  it  re- 
sembles VS^alnut  and  Cypress,  is  employed  to  make  ta- 
bles, doors,  implements,  &c.  which  are  very  durable  j 
it  is  too  valuable  for  burning  when  large.  The  branches 
and  twigs  are  chiefly  used  for  burning,  and  fagots  made 
with  them  after  trimming  the  Vines  ;  much  used  in  vine 
countries  for  ovens,  to  li^ht  fires  and  cook,  &c.  In  the 
spring,  the  vernal  sap  of  the  Vines  is  similar  to  water, 
and  very  cooling. 

The  leaves  are  used  for  many  purposes,  to  carry  fruits, 
butter,  and  saleables  to  market,  to  cover,  clean,  scour, 
&c.  Cattle  are  fond  of  them  :  they  are  given  to  cows 
goats,  and  hogs.  They  form  one  of  the  best  manures  for 
the  Vmes  themselves.  A  kind  of  Wine  may  be  made 
ot  them  with  sugar. 

The  blossoms  of  the  fragrant  kinds  are  used  as  per- 
fume, and  to  give  this  perfume  to  Wine,  being  put  in 
when  fermenting. 

From  the  Grapes  are  made,  1.  Verjuice  2  Must 
S.  Syrup.  4.  Grape  butter.  5-  Sugar.  6- Wines.  Z.Boiled 
Wmes.  8.  Nectar.  9  Piquette.  10- Lees.  11.  Vinegar 
12.  Brandy.  13.  Alcohol.  14.  Varnish.  15.  Preserves' 
16.  Pies  and  Tarts.  17.  Raisins.  18.  Tartar  or  Aro-ol! 
19.  Cordials.  20.  Perfumes,  &c.  and  they  are  one  of*the 
most  palatable  and  healthy  fruit  of  the  table,  of  which 
there  is  a  succession  from  the  end  of  June  to  November: 
they  may  even  be  preserved  fresh  the  whole  winter  iii 
saw  dust,  and  are  thus  exported. 

The  seeds  of  Grapes  are  eaten  by  fowls,  pidgeons  and 
birds  ;  they  are  astringent  and  oily.  A  fine  fixed  oil  is 
made  from  them  by  pressure  in  Parma,  Lombardy,  and 
other  parts  of  Italy,  similar  to  Olive  oil,  and  used  for 
burning  and  frying.  The  husks  and  peduncles  are  a  va- 
luable manure.  When  burnt,  they  make  the  best  Pot- 
ash used  for  soft  soap.  Argol  or  Tartar  is  extracted  from 
the  lees  or  settlings  of  Wine,  and  is  incrusted  In  the 


28  VITIS,  OR 

vats  and  casks  :  burned  lees  are  called  Wine  ashes. 
From  Argol  are  made  tartaric  acid  and  cream  of  tartar. 
Acetic  acid  is  made  from  vinegar. 

Verjuice  is  the  juice  of  unripe  Grapes  and  chiefly  of 
the  Verjuice  Grapes,  which  never  ripen.  It  is  acid  and 
harsh,  containing  malic  acid,  tartrMe  of  potash,  and  ex- 
tractive. It  is  used  as  a  condiment  lilce  vinegar  and 
lime  juice.  It  is  cooling  and  laxative  :  a  peculiar  Wine 
can  be  made  with  it  by  the  addition  of  sugar,  which  re- 
sembles fine  Cider  or  Champaigne,  according  to  the  mode 
of  fermenting. 

Ripe  Grapes  contain  1.  Tartaric  acid.  2.  Sugar.  3.Wa- 
ter,  and  4.  Mucilage,  in  different  proportion,  according 
to  the  kinds  :  these  are  the  essential  elements  of  Wine 
before  fermentation.  The  adventitious  elements  are  : 
1.  Malic  acid.  2.  Carbonic  acid.  3.  Potash.  4.  Tannin. 
5.  Aroma.  6.  Coloring  principle,  which  are  not  always 
present,  except  tannin,  which  is  always  found  in  the  husk 
or  skin,  as  well  as  the  peduncles  and  seeds  of  the 
Grapes.  Ripe  Grapes  are  cooling,  antiseptic,  and  nutri- 
tious :  when  eaten  in  large  quantities,  they  become  diu- 
retic, laxative,  and  pectoral.  They  form  an  excellent 
diet  in  all  inflammatory  diseases,  incipient  phthisis, 
phlegmasis,  convalescence  from  fevers,  &c.  The  sweet- 
est and  well  flavored  kinds  are  the  best,  all  the  harsh 
and  bad  tasted  are  only  fit  to  make  Wine.  It  is  \^ith 
"Grapes  as  with  Apples,  the  best  for  the  table  do  not  al- 
ways make  the  best  Wine  or  Cider.  Among  American 
Grapes,  out  of  40  species,  we  have  only  17  suitable  to 
make  good  Wine,  and  among  these  only  8  very  palata- 
ble, such  as  the  Bland,  Alexander,  Scupernong,  Musca- 
dine, Elsinburg,  Owisburg,  River  and  Maple  Grapes, 
with  their  varieties. 

Raisins  are  the  dried  Grapes,  which  is  commonly  done 
by  scalding  the  bunches  in  boiling  water  with  ashes, 
which  shrivels  them,  and  next  hanging  them  on  strings 
to  dry  in  the  shade.  A  few  are  dried  in  the  sun  in  very 
wann  countries.  These  operations  dissipate  the  water 
of  the  Grapes ;  they  diminish  the  acid  and  increase  the 
sugar,  which  often  crystallizes  spontaneously  in  thenu 
Raisins  are  less  cooling  than  Grapes  ;  nay,  eaten  in 
quantity,  they  are  heating  and  flatulent.    Boded  Raisins 


GRAPE  VINES.  29 

are  almost  restored  to  the  primitive  state  of  Grapes  ; 
they  become  very  emolient,  pectoral,  and  laxative.  We 
could  make  raisins  in  America  with  most  of  the  8  kinds 
mentioned  above  as  palatable,  and  also  with  ",ime  of  the 
large  Fox  Grapes. 

Many  culinary  preparations  are  made  with  fresh 
Grapes  and  Raisins,  such  as  pies,  tarts,  plumb  puddings, 
dumplings,  preserves,  jellies,  &c.  In  America,  we  use 
for  pies  and  tarts  almost  all  the  kinds  except  the  bitter 
sort,  and  even  the  smallest  Chicken  and  Pidgeon  Grapes: 
they  improve  and  enlarge  by  cooking.  Grape  Butter  is 
made  like  Apple  Butter,  by  boiling  the  Must  or  juice  of 
the  Grapes  to  the  consistence  of  honey  ;  it  is  much  used 
in  Europe  and  Asia,  the  French  call  \i  Raisinet ;  the 
best  is  made  sweeter  and  granular  by  the  addition  of 
sugar,  and  is  then  one  of  the  greatest  delicacies.  We 
could  easily  make  it  with  our  Grapes. 

The  unboiled  and  unfermented  Must  or  recent  juice  is 
used  as  a  pleasant  and  cooling  beverage,  with  water  and 
sugar,  all  over  the  Oriental  countries  ;  it  is  called  Sher- 
bet, and  much  liked  by  the  Mahometans,  who  are  forbid 
the  use  of  wine  ;  several  kinds  are  made  by  the  addition 
of  raisins,  cinnamon,  rose  water,  spices  and  other  ingre- 
dients J  the  best  is  cooled  with  snow.  Syrup  and  sugar 
can  be  made  from  Must  and  raisins.  The  Must  of  sweet 
Grapes  give  a  syrup  by  condensation  or  evaporation, 
which  prevents  fermentation  j  and  raisins  boiled  to  a  pulp 
and  strained  give  the  same.  This  syrup  has  the  flavor 
of  the  grape,  and  may  be  used  like  any  other  syrup. 
From  it  sugar  is  made  by  chemical  operations,  concen- 
tration, saturation,  separation  of  water,  granulation,  &c. 
The  Grape  Sugar  is  peculiar,  it  never  crystallizes  per- 
fectly, commonly  forms  lumps,  and  it  is  difficult  to  bleach 
it  5  but  it  makes  very  good  and  sweet  coarse  sugar.  In 
Europe,  the  manufacture  has  been  tried  on  a  large  scale, 
but  chiefly  in  France,  where  the  Grapes  are  not  so  sac- 
charine as  in  Spain,  and  the  preference  has  been  given 
to  the  better  and  whiter  home  sugar  of  Beets  and 
Chesnuts. 

But  WINE  is  the  chief  and  most  useful  produce  of 
the  Grape.  It  is  the  juice  of  the  Grape  altered  bj  the 
vinous  fermentation.  There  are  innumerable  kinds  of 
C 


30  VITIS,  OR 

Wines  produced  by  the  various  Grapes,  their  mixture* 
climate  and  soil,  cultivation  and  manipulation,  care  and 
skill.  Perhaps  3000  kinds!  of  which  500  in  France, 
700  in  lU^j,  600  in  Spain  and  Portugal,  100  in  GerM\a- 
ny  and  Hungary,  300  in  Greece  and  Turkey,  100  in 
Persia,  200  in  Thibet  and  China,  150  in  Egypt  and  Bar- 
bary,  30  in  South  Africa,  50  in  the  Atlantic  Islands,  60 
in  North  America,  40  in  South  America.  But  several  of 
these  diflfer  little  from  each  other. 

The  chemical  analysis  of  Wine  gives,  1.  Water.  2.  Al- 
cohol. 3.  Sugar.  4.  Carbonic,  tartaric,  and  malic  acids. 
5.  Tannin.  6.  A  coloring  matter.  7.  A  volatile  oil  dif- 
ferent in  each  Wine,  and  producing  the  bouquet  or 
perfume  distinguishing  them.  The  predominance  of  these 
principles  aftbrds  the  best  classification  of  Wines  into 
8  classes,  red,  white,  sparkling,  acid,  astringent,  strong, 
sweetened,  exquisite  Wines. 

1.  Jled  Wines  owe  their  color  to  the  coloring  matter  j 
they  are  the  most  common,  often  called  table  Wines  or 
Clarets,  they  vary  from  pale  purple  to  black,  and  from 
the  thinness  of  water  to  the  thickness  of  syrup.  When 
new,  or  less  than  three  months  old,  they  are  less  agreea- 
ble, difficult  to  digest,  flatulent,  liable  to  irritate  and 
inflame  the  bowels.  When  from  3  to  18  months  old 
they  are  palatable  and  perfect.  When  older  they  be- 
come better  still,  lighter,  milder,  and  healthier,  very 
stomachic  and  reviving. 

2.  White  Wines  are  made  with  white  Grapes  or  red 
Grapes  without  husks,  they  are  commonly  limpid,  thin 
and  dry,  whence  often  called  Dry  Wines  or  Sack.  The 
color  is  white,  pale,  yellow  or  brownish.  They  are  milder 
and  less  acid  than  the  red  Wines,  very  diuretic  and 
useful  in  dropsies.   Such  are  Hock,  and  Sherry. 

3.  Sparkling  Wines  contain  an  excess  of  carbonic 
acid.  Commonly  called  Champaigne,  white  and  frothy, 
very  mild  and  healthy  ;  but  liable  to  affect  nervous  per- 
sons. 

4.  Acid  Wines  have  too  much  malic  acid  ;  they  are 
thin  and  sourish,  but  very  cooling.  The  northern  and 
mountainous  countries  afford  hardly  any  other,  the  grapes 
being  deficient  there  in  sugar.  Several  American  grapes 


GRAPE  VINES.  31 

can  produce  no  other  unless  sugar  is  added.  The  colors 
are  white  or  pale  red. 

5.  Astringent  Wines  contain  more  tannin,  they  are 
commonly  red,  rough  and  austere.  Such  are  Port  or 
Oporto,  Catalonia,  Roussillon,  &c.  Useful  for  persons  of 
lax  fibres,  or  who  have  undue  evacuations  ;  but  liable  to 
bring  on  gout. 

6.  Strong  Wines  liave  an  excess  of  alcohol,  which 
makes  them  affect  the  head  ;  they  are  commonly  white 
or  brown.  Such  are  Madeira,  TenerifFe,  Lisbon,  &c. 
Unless  drank  very  moderately,  they  produce  intoxica- 
tion, dyspepsia,  inflammation,  and  chronic  diseases. 

r.  Sweet  f Fines  contain  much  sugar,  some  strength 
and  perfume,  they  are  commonly  white  or  pale,  but  some 
are  red  also,  commonly  thick,  luscious,  delightful,  acting 
as  mild  cordials,  and  very  nourishing.  Such  are  Cyprus, 
Malaga,  Lachryma,  Muscat,  Malmsey,  Constantia,  &c. 
Used  moderately,  they  are  reviving,  tonic,  stimulant, 
and  useful  in  all  diseases  of  debility. 

8.  Exquisite  Wines  abound  in  delicious  and  fragrant 
aroma,  are  sweet,  but  not  strong.  Such  are  Tokay  and 
Nectar,  the  best  of  all  Wines  or  Cordials,  the  best  kinds 
of  which  sell  on  the  spot  at  gl5  the  bottle,  or  §60  the 
gallon,  while  common  table  wines  often  sell  in  Europe 
at  5  cents  the  gallon.  The  finest  perfumed  sweet  Wines 
may  be  concentrated  by  frost  into  exquisite  Essence  of 
Wine. 

Some  of  the  most  famous  or  valuable  Wines  are  the 
following  kinds  :  each  has  its  peculiar  flavor. 

French  Wines.  1.  Sillery^  amber  color,  dry,  fine 
perfume,  stomachic.  2.Rose  colored  Champaigne.  3. Mo- 
selle, white,  light,  agreeable.  4.  Straw  Wine,  similar  to 
Tokay,  made  with  Grapes  kept  on  straw  till  spring. 
5.  Bangen,  white,  very  strong,  bad  for  the  nerves,  may 
cause  palsy.  6.  Pineau,  sweet,  light,  fragrant.  7.  Vou- 
vray,  sweet,  soft,  strong,  white.  8.  Grosnoir,  black, 
thick,  rough,  looses  color  and  taste  by  age.  9.  Burgun- 
dy, red,  brisk,  delicate.  10.  Coted^or,  red,  strong  brisk, 
high  flavor.  \l.Auxerre,red,  fine,  delicate,  fine  bouquet. 
12.  Leclos,  white,  quite  limpid,  fine.  13.  Chambertin, 
red  fine,  sweet  perfume.  14.  Volnay,  red,  very  fine,  de- 
lightful smell.  15.  Grillet,  white  brisk  perfumed,  sweet 


32  VITIS,  OR 

when  young,  dry  when  old.  16.  Hermitage,  red  fine  per- 
fumed. 17.  Golden  Hermitage,  golden  color,  delicious 
perfume  and  flavor.  18.  Mef/oc,  or  best  perfumed  Claret, 
19.  Graves,  white  Claret.  20.  Roussillon,  red,  rough. 
21.  Muscat,  white,  sweet,  delicious.  22.  Ciotat,  similar, 
but  thin.  Most  of  these  best  wines  are  drank  as  luxuries 
or  medical  tonics,  and  the  very  best  are  seldom  export- 
edf  costing  from  1  to  §5  the  bottle. 

Spanish  Wines.  l.Tinto,  black,  thick,  strong.  2.  Tzn- 
iillo,  ditto  red.  3.  Seco,  white  dry  bitterish.  4.  Xeres, 
or  Sherry,  white,  dry,  nutty,  strong.  5.  Paxaret,  white 
sweet,  high  flavor.  6.  Grenada,  amber  color,  very  sweet 
when  young,  losing  the  sweetness  by  age.  7.  Albaflora, 
like  Hock,  white,  not  so  dry.  8.  Sweet  Malaga,  brown, 
sweet,  strong,  a  fine  cordial  when  old.  9.  Dry  Malaga, 
whiter,  thinner  and  dry.  10.  Alicant,  red,  strong,  very 
tonic.  W.Catalonia,  red  and  rough  like  Port.  12. Malm- 
sey, sweet,  redish,  fine  flavor.  13.  Bed  Malaga,  fine 
strong.  14  Salamanca,  pale  red  fine. 

Wines  of  Portugal  are  commonly  called -Porf  when 
red,  and  Lisbon  when  white  :  both  are  strong  and  rough, 
but  improve  by  age,  unless  adulterated  as  usual  with 
brandy.  1.  Carcavelos  is  the  sweet  Lisbon.  2.  Bucellas, 
the  dry  Lisbon.  3.  Setubal,  like  Muscat.  4.  Minho,  best 
pale  Port.   5.  Douro,  very  rough. 

Italian  Whines.  1.  Chiaretto,  pale  red  fine.  2.  Pen- 
nine, white,  thin  like  water,  acid,  made  in  the  Alps  and 
Appennines.  3.  Florence  or  Tuscany,  similar  to  Bur- 
gundy, thinner,  cannot  keep.  4.  Lombard,  Modena  and 
JMontserrat,  red  thin  acid.  S.Montepvlciano,  red,  strong, 
hot.  6.  Vicentino,  red,  strong.  7.  Falerno  and  Salerno, 
red  delicate.  8.  Calabrese,  black  thick  sweet.  9.  Ta- 
rento,  red,  rough.  10.  Malvagia,  sweet,  strong,  delicate. 
ll.Lacrima,  red,  sweet,  strong,  perfumed.  12..Moscatel" 
lo,  yellow  sweet  luscious.  13.  Nobile  and  Vergine,  ex- 
quisite, similar  to  Tokay.  14.  Rosolio,  or  Fiascone, 
white,  sweet,  thick,  like  a  cordial.  15.  Paglino,  straw 
color,  fine.  \Q.  Jgrodolcc,  sweet  and  acid,  white. 
IT.Venacio,  black  and  thick.  18.  Puglia,  pale  red,  brisk. 
19.  Viterbo,  red  and  rough.  20.  Trappola^  sweet  and 
bitter.  21.  Amnro,  red  bitterish.  22.  Zafferano,  saffron 
color.  23.  Doro,  golden  sweet.  24.  Mhano  and  Sangui- 


GRAPE  VINES.  33 

nello,  bright  and  pleasant.  25.  Greco,  yellow  pungent 
sweet.  26.  Morello,  black  strong.  27.  Vesiivio,  red 
strong.  28.  Ischia,  pale  strong.  29.  Pergola,  pale,  thin, 
flat.  30.  Passola,  fine,  made  with  shrivelled  grapes. 
51.  Miele,  yellow,  as  sweet  as  honey.  32.  Corsican,  simi- 
lar to  Catalonia.  33.  Sardinian,  similar  to  Burgundy, 
many  kinds.  The  Italian  wines  are  hardly  known  out 
of  Italy,  being  seldom  exported  j  those  of  south  Italy 
alone  keep  well. 

Sicilian  Wines.  1.  Di  Pasto,  pale  strong.  2.  Cata- 
nia, similar,  with  the  pitch  taste.  3.Mascali,  red,  strong. 
4.  Etna,  white,  firy.  5.  Palermo,  pale  i-ed,  strong,  but 
thin.  6.  Cas;e/t;efrano,  yellow,  strong,  limpid.  The  Mar- 
sala or  Sicily  Madeira  is  made  with  this  Castelvetrano, 
brandy,  bitter  almonds,  &c.  well  fined  and  kept  two 
years.  7.  Tusa,  sweet  brown,  flavor  of  Cyprus.  8.  Sira- 
cusa,  sweet  strong,  yellow  like  Muscat.  9.  Noto  and 
Lipari,  strong  pale  rough.  10.  Modica,  pale  red,  flavor 
of  Malaga. 

Swiss  Wines.  1.  Be  Valid,  dvylike'Rhenish.  2.  Neuf- 
chatel,  red,  like  Burgundy.  3.  Boudry,  red,  good  flavor. 

4.  Montagnard,  thin  and  acid. 

German  Wines.  Commonlydry  and  acid.  I.Treves, 
a  specific  for  gravel.  2.  Hock,  white,  very  dry.  3.  Rhe- 
nish,  white  delicate.     4.  Berg,  strong  and  perfumed. 

5.  Heidelberg,  fine  red.  6.  Bohemia,  like  Burgundy. 
7. /)anw6e,  delicate,  do  not  keep.  8.  .^ws^mm,  greenish, 
strong.  9.  Styrian,  pale  strong.  10.  Spitz,  fine.  11.  Ty- 
rol, red,  weak. 

Hungarian  Wines.  l.Auspruck  Tokay,  white,  lus- 
cious, soft,  mild,  oily,  exquisite.  2.  JlfarZas  and  Common 
Tokay,  inferior,  thinner.  3.  Szeghi,  white,  aromatic 
perfume.  4.  Moda,  nearly  similar  to  Mazlas.  5.  Zombor, 
strong,  pale  red.  6.  Matra  and  Arad,  red,  sweet,  strong 
wines. 

Russian  Wines.  Only  produced  in  the  South.  l.Zim- 
lansk,  red,  fine.  2.  Don,  white,  fine.  3.  Tangarog,  disa- 
greeable taste.  4.  Kaffa  or  Champaigne  of  Crimea. 
5.  Sudagh,  white,  sweet,  similar  to  Hungarian.  6.  Cut- 
nar  or  Moldavian,  green,  very  strong.     ' 

Grecian  Wines.  1.  Car/ouiVz,  red,  fine  brisk.  2.  Po- 
sega,  white,  fine  flavor.  3.  Dalmatian,  red,  strong  fine, 
c  2 


34  VITIS,  OR 

4.  Lissa,  dark  red,  very  strong,  the  strongest  of  all 
wines.  S.Morea,  red  perfumed.  6.  Nupoli  Malmsey. 
7.  Malmsey  of  Mount  Ida  in  Candia.  8.  Nectar  of  Can- 
dia,  exquisite,  delicate  sweet.  9.  Samos,  sweet  and  acid 
white.  \Q.  Nectar  of  Scio,  sweet  astringent.  11.  Scio, 
nale  red,  fine.  12.  Tenedos,  like  Medoc.  13.  Tenedos, 
red  Muscat.  14.  Sanlorin,,  very  sweet  and  agreeable, 
but  sulphurous.  15.  Pilch  wine,  brown,  with  the  taste  of 
tar.  16.  Holy  ivine,  very  fine.  17.  Cyprus,  sweet  per- 
fumed, red  when  young,  yellow  when  old,  similar  to 
Malaga,  a  fine  cordial  and  stomachic. 

Asiatic  Wines.  I.Smyrna,  red,  strong,  fine.  2.  ^s- 
iracan,  red.  similar  to  Lacrima.  3.  Caspian,  like  Mo- 
selle. 4.  Cas/jfan,  Champaigne.  5.Kmna,  red  light  thin. 

6.  Tartary,  strong,  made  very  intoxicating  by  poppies. 

7.  Tiflis,  tine  wine  made  from  wild  grapes!  8.  Armenian, 
red  and  white,  fine  strong.  9.  Syrian  Claret.  10.  Da- 
mascus, golden  dry.  \\.  Lebanon,  thick  perfumed  red. 
12.  Gold  wine,  yellow,  from  Syria.  13.  Jerusalem,  white 
"•ood.  14.  Sana  in  Arabia,  good.  15.  Shiraz,  red  harsh, 
hio-h  flavor.  \6.  Nectar  of  Shiraz,  \\\\\{q  sweet,  strong 
pel-fumed.  IT. Ispahan,  white  fine.  18.  Tabriz,  red  and 
white,  many  kinds.  19.  Shirvan,  red  like  best  claret. 
29.  c^g-Qrt,  Vunilar.  21.  Many  wines  in  Bukaria,  Thibet 
and  China,  hardly  known. 

African  Wines.  1.  Jews  wine,  red,  good.  2.  Berber, 
white,  fine.  ^.  Madeira  or  nrfon-o,  dry,  strong,  yellow, 
flavor  of  bitter  almonds.  4.  Bagoal  of  Mijdeira,  sweeter. 
S.Pingo,  Malmsey  of  Madeira,  exquisite.  6.  Tinto  of  Ma- 
deira,°ed,  perfumed,  austere,  useful  in  dysentery.  T.Ca- 
nary, white,  similar  to  Lisbon.  8.  Vidonia  of  Teneriffe, 
similar  to  Madeira  when  old.  9.Gomer,  white,  sharp,  lim- 
pid as  water,  flavor  of  Madeira.  iO.  Palma,  yellow, 
liMit  dry.  \\.  Palma  Malmsey,  f\a\ or  of  Pine  apple. 
12.  Fayal,  white,  thin,  strong.'  15.  tSzorian,  pale  red, 
like  light  Port.  14.  Constantia,  red,  highly  perfumed, 
sweet.  15.  Cape  or  Henapop,  less  perfumed.  16.  Stotiy, 
dry  like  Graves.  IT. Rota,  red,  strong.  These  4  last  from 
•  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

vSouTH  American  Wines.  Only  made  in  Qhili,  Cuyo, 
Tucuman,  &c.  little  known,  similar  to  Catalonia,  pale 
red.  In  the  Andes  of'Pcru  wine  is  also  made,  but  weak 


GRAPE  VINES.  35 

and  bad  tasted.  The  wine  made  in  the  West  Indies 
with  V.  ghmerata  and  V.  maritima,  is  red,  harsh  acid. 

North  American  Wines.  Are  made  from  Canada  to 
Mexico,  chiefly  from  native  grapes.  In  the  United 
States,  17  species  can  make  good  wine,  either  alone  or 
with  a  little  sugar.  The  principal  wines  already  made 
are,  1.  Vincennes,  pale  red,  light.  2.  Vevay,  red,  acid. 
3.  P^evay  prime,  hi'own  and  sweetish,  fine.  Q.  Jllexander, 
pale  red,  flavor  of  raspberries,  and  similar  to  best  Bur- 
gundy, made  with  V.  prolifcra.  4.  Bland,  acid,  strong, 
yellow,  made  with  V.  blanda.  5.  Lvf  borough,  red,  rich, 
fine  musky  flavor.  6.  Catawba,  yellow,  fine  body  and 
perfume.  7.  Scupernong,  yellow,  limpid,  very  strong, 
firy  when  brandy  is  added.  8.  Muscadine,  yellow,  sweet 
perfumed.  9.  Catskill,  strong,  between  Madeira  and 
Port  in  taste  and  color.  10.  Coopers,  brown,  similar  to 
Lisbon,  but  acidule.  W.Elsinburg,  fine  flavor.  12.  Or- 
wisburg,  very  fine,  white.  13.  Isabella,  pale  and  fine. 
14.  Worihington,  ^m\\\a.Y  to  Port.  15.  Winter  wine,  dark 
red,  acid  and  harsh.  1 6. Fo/^,  red,  harsh.  \7.  Harinony, 
red,  acid,  good.  18.  ./^Z«^ama,  brown,  fine,  i^^c.  The  Eu- 
ropean vines  thrive  in  our  gardens,  and  produce  good 
eatable  grapes  with  some  care  j  but  are  often  injured  in 
the  fields  by  late  frosts,  and  do  not  ripen  well,  or  give 
a  thin  acid  juice  unsuitable  for  good  wine  :  we  must, 
therefore,  rely  on  our  native  hardy  grapes,  some  of  which 
are  equal  to  the  best  exotic. 

The  Mexican  wines  made  from  Spanish  vines,  produce 
wines  similar  to  Spanish,  but  little  known  as  yet. 

Good  wines  have  wonderful  effects  on  the  human  sys- 
tem. Externally  they  are  useful  in  frictions  and  lotions, 
in  cases  of  local  debility  ;  they  may  restore  to  life  new 
born  and  very  weak  children,  likely  to  die,  by  merely 
rubbing  it  on  their  stomach. 

Internally  they  are  good  for  suckling  infants,  trou- 
bled with  worms,  or  with  weak  bowels,  a  teaspoon  full 
is  sufficient  for  them  with  milk  or  sugar.  A  popular 
vermifuge  for  children  in  Italy,  is  a  mixture  of  wine, 
lime  juice,  olive  oil,  and  sugar.  Children,  youths,  and 
females  ought  to  abstain  from  the  daily  use  of  it,  and 
then  it  will  be  a  cordial  for  them  in  almost  all  the  dis- 
eases.    The  use  of  wine  as  a  beverage  ought  to  begin 


36  VITIS,  OR 

only  when  the  body  is  ripe,  and  always  with  modera- 
tion, avoiding  all  those  adulterated  by  brandy  or  perni- 
cious ingredients,  as  are  Madeira,  Port,  and  Sherry, 
which  are  never  pure  ;  the  best  wines  for  daily  use  be- 
ing the  French  wines,  Clarets,  Burgundy,  Malaga,  Lis- 
bon, Fayal,  Samos,  Cyprus,  besides  our  own  American 
wines. 

In  old  age  good  wines  become  more  needful,  they 
support  strength  and  life.  Plato  called  them  the  milk  of 
old  age.  An  old  Italian  proverb  says,  that  milk  is  the 
wine  of  youth,  but  wine  the  milk  of  old  age.  Aged  peo- 
ple can  indulge  with  benefit  in  their  daily  use,  but  never 
to  excess,  and  always  with  water  in  large  proportion. 

Temperance  does  not  consist  in  abstaining  from  wine, 
but  in  using  with  moderation,  and  with  water,  none  but 
the  good  and  mild.  The  Temperance  Societies  lately 
established  with  us,  have  done  a  great  deal  of  good  in 
checking  the  vile  habit  of  drinking  spirituous  liquors, 
but  have  done  wrong  in  proscribing  such  wines  :  they 
ought  merely  to  proscribe  the  vile  trash  called  Port  and 
Madeira,  which  are  not  Wines,  but  impure  brandy  mix- 
tures or  Wine  Grogs!  and  encourage  the  importation 
and  cultivation  of  mild  healthy  wines  for  substitutes. 
Christians  and  Jews  can  never  abstain  altogether  from 
wine  like  the  Mahometans,  since  it  is  needful  in  some 
of  their  religious  rites. 

When  wines  are  drank  in  extra  doses,  they  produce 
hilarity,  and  in  excess  intoxication.  In  both  cases  they 
quicken  the  pulse,  stimulate  all  the  organs,  inflame  the 
fluids,  excite  tlie  mind,  the  nerves  and  head  are  more 
or  less  affected  ;  but  this  excitement  is  followed  by 
drowsiness,  head-ache,  sleep,  dejection,  relaxation,  stu- 
por, diarrhoea,  stupidity,  or  madness.  All  these  effects 
are  owing  to  the  brandy  or  alcohol  contained  in  the 
wines,  thus  they  depend  on  their  amount  in  each  dose  or 
glass,  and  on  the  habit  of  the  drinker.  Children  may  be 
intoxicated  by  a  single  small  glass.  Drunkards  get  gra- 
dually used  to  wines,  and  require  more  and  more  to 
affect  them,  thus  losing  for  them  altogether  its  medical 
effects.  At  last  their  bloated  red  face  shows  the  appetite 
to  have  become  a  disease,  Oinomania,  or  craving  for 
wine,  and  they  become  liable  to  a  multitude  of  chronic 


GRAPE  VINES.  57 

diseases,  gout,  epilepsy,  pleurisy,  palsy,  tremors,  ner- 
vous diseases,  liver  complaints,  dropsy  of  the  chest, 
consumptions,  inflammatory  fevers,  dyspepsia,  madness, 
apoplexy,  &:c.  and  they  entail  them  on  their  offspring  ! 

This  disease  is  rare  in  wine  countries,  not  one  in  500 
becoming  drunkards  there,  as  they  are  despised  and 
hooted  J  while  in  countries  where  wines  are  scarce, 
England,  Sweden,  Russia,  and  the  United  States,  five 
at  least  in  100  become  drunkards,  and  get  beastly  drunk 
on  strong  liquors  and  strong  wines,  rum,  brandy,  whis- 
key, Port  and  Madeira,  without  being  despised  as  they 
ought,  drunkenness  being  rather  considered  as  a  bad 
habit  or  infirmity,  than  a  moral  disease  or  shameful  vice. 
The  best  cure  for  drunkenness  are  abstinence,  mild  and 
cooling  drinks,  bathing  and  emetics,  besides  moral  re- 
straint, religious  feeling,  and  public  opinion.  Tliere 
would  be  no  more  drunkards  if  they  were  all  despised  and 
avoided  by  men  and  women  !  or  put  into  hospitals  as  sick, 
insane,  vicious,.and  criminal. 

The  medical  properties  of  good  wines  on  temperate 
persons  are  numerous.  They  are  useful  in  all  atonic 
diseases  arising  from  debility,  in  scrofula,  scurvy,  ra- 
chitis, paleness,  leucorrhea,  promoting  digestion,  stimu- 
lating the  heart,  increasing  the  heat  of  the  body.  They 
are  the  best  vehicles  for  tonic  medicines  used  in  all  fe- 
vers, debilities,  prostrations,  &c.  Wine  is  to  be  forbid 
or  avoided  by  those  who  have  a  nervous,  irritable,  or 
plethoric  constitution,  or  some  inflammatory  diseases  ; 
but  even  then  some  acid  wines,  well  watered,  may  be 
available  and  serviceable. 

Several  modifications  of  Avine  deserve  to  be  known. 
Must  is  the  pure  unfermented  juice.  Pure  wine  is  made 
of  Must  alone.  Impure  or  brewed  toines  have  ingredients 
added.  Colored  ivines  have  a  coloring  matter  added. 
Mixed  wine  is  made  with  different  grapes.  It  is  adulte- 
rated when  wines  are  united  after  fining.  Brandy  wines 
are  those  adulterated  by  brandy,  like  Madeira  and  Port. 
Mouslille  is  sharp  and  sweet  wine  still  fermenting. 
Boiled  wine  is  reduced  and  thickened  by  boiling.  Pi- 
quette,  wine  made  by  throwing  water  on  the  husks  after 
pressure,  it  is  like  cider,  and  is  drank  without  water  by 
the  labourers.     Protopion  wine  made  without  pressure 


38  VITIS,  OR 

by  mere  percolation  of  the  grape,  such  is  Tokay.  Dm- 
terion  of  the  Greeks,  is  pressed,  or  rather  wine  made  by 
mashing  the  grapes.  Nectar  is  made  by  a  slight  pressure 
of  the  sweetest  grapes.  Essence  of  ivine  made  by  expos- 
ing wine  to  frost,  throwing  oflf  the  icicles,  and  thus  con- 
centrating the  strength.  It  may  be  made  as  strong  as 
brandy,  without  its  pernicious  quality,  is  very  portable 
retains  the  perfume,  and  may  be  restored  to  wine  by 
adding  water.  Honey  of  wine,  congealed  by  age  in  100 
years  to  the  state  of  honey,  may  be  restored  by  warm 
water.  Solar  wine,  exposed  to  the  sun,  made  by  it 
thicker,  sweeter,  and  milder.  Crust  of  wine,  some  thick 
wines,  such  as  Arcadian  or  Morea,  become  hard  and 
dry  like  salt  or  argol  by  age,  may  be  dissolved  again  in 
warm  water.  The  Lees  or  settlings  of  wine,  are  depo- 
sited by  fermentation  and  fining,  they  are  rich  in  argol 
and  potash  :  from  those  of  the  best  wines  is  made  the 
Oil  of  Wine,  by  a  very  slow  distillation  with  water.  This 
oil  which  has  the  flavor  and  perfume  of  the  peculiar 
wine  it  comes  from,  serves  to  give  it  to  other  wines,  or 
to  make  false  brandy  with  alcohol  and  water. 

Quelled  wine  is  such  as  was  stopped  in  fermenting  by 
throwing  cold  water  in  it,  or  exposure  to  cold  weather. 
Eager  or  Pricked  wine  is  becoming  sour  by  the  acetous 
fermentation  having  begun.  Flat  wine  has  lost  its  flavor 
by  being  exposed  to  the  air  or  other  means  ;  many  poor 
wines  become  flat  or  sour  by  age ;  they  may  be  restored 
by  chemical  processes,  lime,  plaster,  brandy,  oil  of  wine, 
&c.  Burnt  ivine  is  any  wine  made  hot,  but  not  boiled 
and  drunk  with  spices,  &c.  useful  for  gout,  cholics,  and 
chills.  Wine  is  often  employed  in  cookery,  for  sauces, 
soups,  ragouts,  stews,  puddings,  and  jellies ;  it  is  al- 
ways preferable  to  brandy  and  stronger  liquids;  the 
ancients  used  to  boil  some  fish  in  wine  instead  of  water 
as  a  luxury. 

Medicated  wines  are  vehicles  of  various  soluble  medi- 
cines, chiefly  tonics,  emetics,  and  febrifuges.  They  are 
excellent  preparations,  although  latterly  some  deluded 
physicians  have  preferred  alcoholic  tinctures,  which  are 
pernicious,  unless  used  merely  in  drops.  Wine  tinc- 
tures are  milder,  more  palatable,  and  quite  as  efficient. 
Those  of  iron,  gentian,  opium,  colchicum,  &c.  are  much 


GRAPE  VINES.  39 

used.  The  Iron  wine  was  known  to  the  ancients ;  it 
was  made  by  putting  rusty  nails  into  it,  or  quenching  in 
it  nails  made  red  hot  :  it  is  a  powerful  tonic  and  restora- 
tive. The  Emetic  wine  is  now  made  with  tartar  emetic 
dissolved  into  wine  :  it  is  one  of  the  most  certain  and 
less  disagreeable  emetics.  Every  febrifuge  medicament 
ought  to  be  given  in  mild  wine,  as  it  increases  the  effect. 
Vinegar  is  the  result  of  acetic  fermentation  ;  the  best 
is  made  with  sour  wine,  both  red  and  white.  Any  bad 
wine  unfit  to  drink  becomes  vinegar  by  itself  after  a 
while.  When  wanted  quick,  it  must  be  put  into  a  bar- 
rel washed  with  boiling  water.  Vinegar  is  used  as  a  con- 
diment in  sallads  and  many  dishes  :  to  make  pickles, 
sauces,  syrup,  distilled  vinegar,  acetic  acid,  medicated 
vinegars,  perfumed  vinegars,  &c.  It  is  highly  medical, 
antiseptic,  refrigerant,  analeptic,  &c.  The  external  use 
of  it  is  very  useful  in  fevers,  head  aches,  syncope,  as- 
phyxia, hysteric  and  nervous  affections.  From  it  are 
made  the  vinegar  of  squills,  colchicum,  opium,  camphor, 
&c.  Vinegar  can  be  discolored  and  made  as  clear  as 
water,  by  filtration  over  animal  charcoal  or  burnt  bones: 
and  it  is  then  a  good  vehicle  for  perfumes,  scented  wa- 
ters and  washes  used  by  ladies.  The  ancient  Romans 
drank  vinegar  and  water.  A  kind  of  lemonade  may  be 
made  with  it  and  sugar.  The  syrup  of  vinegar  is  very 
refreshing  in  summer.  Pickles  are  only  good  when  the 
substances  pickled  are  healthy,  thus  boiled  beets,  car- 
rots, onions,  tomatos,  &c.  make  good  pickles,  while  pick- 
led cucumbers,  walnuts,  cayenne  pepper,  &c.  are  very 
bad  and  unhealthy. 

Brandy  is  distilled  wine,  consisting  of  alcohol,  water, 
and  the  peculiar  oil  of  wine.  It  contains  over  one  half 
of  alcohol.  Wines  produce  more  or  less  brandy,  accoi'd- 
ing  to  their  strength,  many  weak  French  wines  produce 
only  one-fifth.  The  quality  of  the  brandy  depends  on 
the  wine,  and  the  mode  of  distilling  it.  W^hen  new  it  is 
as  clear  as  water,  but  gets  a  coloring  in  the  oak  casks  : 
it  is  also  colored  by  burnt  sugar,  and  thus  is  always  im- 
pure. By  age  it  loses  its  firy  taste,  and  becomes  mel- 
low or  milder.  It  is  always  unhealthy,  even  drank  mo- 
derately and  with  water,  but  perhaps  less  so  than  rum 
and  whiskey.     It  speedily  produces  the  worst  kind  of 


40  VITIS,  OR 

intoxication  and  the  disease  of  intemperance.  It  acts  on 
the  stomach  and  brain  as  a  pernicious  stimulant  and  cor- 
rosive. It  is,  however,  used  medically  in  sudden  chills 
of  the  stomach  by  gout  or  cold  water  ;  but  warm  wine 
has  exactly  the  same  effect.  Externally  it  is  often  em- 
ployed in  bruises,  contusions,  w^ounds,  sprains,  as  a  sti- 
mulant and  resolvent.  A  peculiar  kind  called  aniseed 
brandy,  (Zambu  in  Sicily)  is  made  in  Italy  with  wine 
and  aniseeds,  which  makes  water  milky.  Brandy  is  call- 
ed oil  proof  when  lighter  than  olive  oil,  a  drop  sinking 
in  it.  To  know  how  much  oil  proof  brandy  any  wine 
will  give,  boil  slowly  a  measure  of  it,  as  soon  as 
the  vapour  rises  set  fire  to  it,  and  when  the  blaze  sub- 
sides, take  it  from  the  tire  and  measure  it  again;  the  de- 
ficienc}'  will  be  the  brandy  contained  in  the  wine.  A 
very  pernicious  custom  consists  in  adding  brandy  to 
weak  wines ;  brandy  thus  added  never  amalgamates 
well,  decomposes  the  wine  by  a  slow  process,  and  changes 
the  wine  into  bad  grog  !  "VV  henever  strength  is  required 
in  wine,  the  brandy  must  be  put  in  the  Must  before  fer- 
mentation, by  which  it  is  incorporated  and  modified  ; 
the  alcohol  of  wine  is  always  so  chemically  combined  as 
to  be  harmless.  Fruits  preserved  in  brandy  are  very 
unhealthy. 

The  only  proper  use  of  brandy  is  to  make  alcohol  by 
a  second  distillation  :  this  of  course  can  only  be  done  in 
wine  countries,  where  wine  is  worth  5  cents  the  gallon, 
and  brandy  £0  cents,  when  alcohol  comes  to  50  cents 
only.  Alcohol  being  the  principle  of  all  fermented 
liquors,  and  a  chemical  alteration  of  their  sugar,  is  pro- 
duced by  cider,  beer,  rum,  arrack,  rice,  and  barley  malts, 
at  a  rate  nearly  as  cheap.  Alcohol  is  a  violent  poison 
taken  in  any  quantity,  it  burns  and  corrpdes  the  stomach 
like  aqua  tortis  ;  but  externally  it  is  a  good  stimulant 
and  strengthen  ng  tonic.  It  is,  however,  much  used  in 
medicine  and  the  arts,  being  a  powerful  solvent  of  many 
substances,  resins,  oils,  &c.  With  it  are  made  medical 
tinctures,  elixirs,  sweet  scented  essences,  lotions,  var- 
nishes, cordials,  &c.  Used  also  to  preserve  animals  for 
museums  ;  but  it  has  the  defect  to  destroy  their  colors. 
It  ought  to  be  much  diluted  when  for  internal  use.  It  is 
saturated  with  sugar  to  make  cordials,  and  thus  rendered 


GRAPE  VINES.  41 

Hiilder  and  luscious  ;  but  yet  the  alcoholic  cordials  are 
pernicious,  even  in  small  doses,  and  pure  good  wines  are 
bj  far  better  for  all  the  purposes  of  cordials.  The  best 
use  of  alcohol  is  for  economical  fuel  to  heat  and  cook  in 
tin  vessels. 

Wine  and  water  is,  after  all,  the  best  of  all  beve- 
rages, and  the  most  healthy,  when  mild  wines  alone  are 
used.  Wines  of  good  body  are  those  that  bear  a  great 
deal  of  water  without  losing  their  flavor.  All  white 
wines  bear  water  sparingly,  and  some  are  spoiled  by  it, 
such  as  Madeira,  Graves  and  Hock,  while  Clarets  are 
improved  by  it,  and  bear  from  3  to  5  parts  of  water  to 
one  of  wine.  Some  thick  and  strong  wines  bear  15  or 
20  parts  of  water.  The  strongest  of  all  wines,  such  as 
Lissa  and  Cutnar,  give  40  per  cent  of  alcohol,  or  80  per 
cent  of  brandy.  The  strong  wines,  such  as  Port,  Ma- 
deira, Marsala,  Sherry,  Lisbon,  &c.  hold  from  40  to  60 
per  cent  of  brandy.  The  mild  wines  from  20  to  40  only: 
the  mildest  (and  thus  the  best)  is  Tokay,  which  has  only 
27  brandy,  or  10  per  cent  alcohol,  no  more  than  cider  I 
The  quantity  of  brandy  afforded  by  mild  wines  is  thus 
the  measure  of  their  healthiness  and  body.  Clarets  have 
30  to  36,  Burgundy  30  to  32.  Hock  9,7  to  30.  Cham- 
paigne  25  to  27.  Muscat  22  to  25,  &c.  The  milder  they 
are  the  less  water  they  bear,  and  vice  versa. 

Section  IV.  Principles  of  the  cultivation  of  Grape  Vines, 
and  chiefly  in  North  A?nerica. 

1.  It  is  not  my  intention  to  give  an  elaborate  treatise 
on  the  cultivation  of  vines  all  over  the  world,  but  rather 
practical  hints  on  the  management  in  the  United  States 
of  our  own  kinds. 

2.  Vines  being  cultivated  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  in 
different  climates  and  soils,  require  different  manage- 
ment, are  often  not  kept  alike,  even  in  the  same  coun- 
tries, and  thrive  under  several  modes  of  cultivation. 

3.  In  general,  temperate  climates  (from  which  they  are 
mostly  native)  are  the  best  for  them  :  the  boreal  and  tro- 
pical climates  are  not  suitable  for  them,  as  the  excess  of 
cold  or  heat  either  chills  or  burns  them. 

4.  In  Europe,  vines  are  cultivated  for  wine  every 
where,  except  in  England,  Netherlands,  Denmark,  Swe- 

D 


42  VITIS,  OR 

den,  Prussia,  Poland,  and  Russia,  and  even  there  are 
found  in  gardens  producing  grapes  for  the  table  ;  but 
their  juice  has  not  sugar  enough  to  make  tolerable  wine. 

5.  In  North  An^erica,  the  wild  vines  grow  as  far  as 
Canada,  in  lat.  45,  and  from  thence  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico ;  how  far  south  they  extend  in  Mexico  is  not 
known.  Wherever  found  wild,  wine  can  be  made.  In 
Europe,  the  wine  limits  extend  from  lat.  48  to  50  N.  and 
south  to  Africa. 

6.  In  France  alone,  the  vineyards  occupy  five  millions 
of  acres,  (besides  the  garden  grapes)  which  produce 
yearly  about  1000  millions  of  gallons  of  wine,  besides 
the  grapes  eaten,  thus  averaging  200  gallons  per  acre. 
The  wines  sell  from  7  cents  to  %4  the  gallon  wholesale, 
according  to  quality.  France  having  32  millions  of  in- 
habitants, this  produce  gives  20  gallons  for  beverage  to 
each,  and  360  millions  for  exportation  or  making  brandy, 
vinegar,  &c. 

7.  In  Italy  and  the  Islands,  with  a  population  of  24 
millions,  nearly  as  much  wine  is  made,  and  as  many 
acres  cultivated;  thus  giving  a  much  larger  average  to 
each  individual,  since  less  is  exported  or  made  into  bran- 
dy. The  price  varies  from  4  cents  to  S5  the  gallon. 

8.  In  Spain  and  Portugal  the  amount  is  less,  much 
brandy  and  raisins  being  manufactured  and  wines  ex- 
ported. In  Germany  and  Greece  but  little  is  made  in 
proportion  ;  and  in  all  Mahometan  countries,  except 
Persia,  where  wine  is  less  proscribed,  none  but  the 
Greeks,  Armenians,  and  Jews  make  wine  and  drink  it  j 
but  grapes  are  much  cultivated  fur  the  table,  preserves, 
raisins,  &c. 

9.  In  North  America  wine  was  very  early  made  from 
our  native  grapes,  by  the  French  in  Illinois.  Our  native 
tribes  draiik  the  juice  or  must  of  the  grapes,  but  were 
unacquainted  with  the  art  of  making  wine.  Small  trials 
were  made  in  the  English  colonies  and  United  States  at 
several  periods  ;  but  all  the  trials  directed  towards  the 
imported  vines  have  failed,  owing  to  our  climate  being 
unfavourable  to  them,  while  it  is  very  favorable  of  course 
to  our  native  grapes. 

10.  Tlie  European  and  African  grapes  succeed  pretty 
well  in  our  sheltered  gardens,  and  thus  will  give  us  good 


GRAPE  VINES.  43 

tVuit  for  the  table  ;  but  when  planted  in  exposed  vine- 
yards, the  late  frosts  and  heavy  showers  of  the  spring  in- 
jure them  or  render  them  sterile. 

11.  A  capital  mistake  was  the  attempt  to  make  Ma- 
deira wine  in  America,  instead  of  American  wine.  Our 
climate  and  soil  being  neither  dry  nor  volcanic  as  in 
Madeira,  could  never  produce  similar  wine,  even  if  we 
jiad  tlie  Vidonia  or  Madeira  Grape,  and  knew  how  to 
cultivate  it  and  manage  the  wine.  Besides  Madeira, 
although  a  fashionable  and  costly  wine,  is  bad,  unhealthy, 
and  not  wortliy  of  our  attention.  The  same  with  Port 
wine. 

12.  These  and  other  causes  have  discouraged  the  at- 
tempts of  a  vine  company  established  on  purpose  in 
Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Legoux,  the  manager,  by  his  decep- 
tions in  grapes,  calling  them  by  false  names,  and  his  bad 
management,  threw  discredit  on  the  attempt.  However, 
by  calling  our  Bland  and  Alexander  grapes,  Madeira 
and  Cape,  he  was  instrumental  in  diffusing  them  among 
those  who  would  not  have  noticed  nor  bought  them  if 
known  as  native  vines. 

13-  Notwithstanding  these  difficulties,  many  patriotic 
individuals  have  persisted  in  the  endeavor  to  make  the 
United  States  a  wine  country,  by  establishing  nurseries 
and  vineyards.  Such  were  Major  Adlum,  of  George- 
town, and  Mr.  Dufour,  of  Vevay,  who  have  also  both 
published  works  on  the  cultivation  of  vines.  Mr.  Samuel 
Maurick,  of  South  Carolina  (the  first  exporter  of  our 
cotton  in  1784)  who  establislied  a  large  vineyard  at  Pen- 
dleton. Mr.  Thomas  Echelberger,  of  York,  Penn.  who 
has  been  instrumental  in  establishing  20  vineyards  near 
York. 

14.  In  1825  I  collected  an  account  of  our  principal 
vineyards  and  nurseries  of  vines.  They  were  then  only 
60  of  1  to  20  acres  each,  altogether  600  acres.  While 
now,  in  1830,  they  amount  to  200  of  3  to  40  acres,  or 
nearly  5000  acres  of  vineyards.  Thus  having  increased 
tenfold  within  5  years,  at  which  rate  they  promise  to 
become  a  permanent  and  increasing  cultivation. 

15.  Wishing  to  preserve  the  names  of  the  public  bene- 
factors who  had  in  1835  established  our  first  vineyards, 


44  VITIS,  OR 

I  herewith  insert  their  names.  They  are  independent  of 
the  vineyards  of  York,  Vevay,  and  Vincennes. 

In  New  York,  George  Gibbs,  Swift,  Prince,  Lan- 
sing, Loubat,  &c. 

In  Pennsylvania,  Carr,  James,  Potter,  J.  Webb,  Le- 
goux,  Echelberger,  i..  Bonsall,  Stoys,  Lemoine,  Rapp. 

In  Delaware,  Broome,  J.  Gibbs,  &c. 

In  Maryland,  Adlum,  W.  Bernie,  C.  Varle,  R.  Sin- 
clair, W.  Miles,  &c. 

In  Virginia,  Lockhart,Zane,  R.Weir,  Noel,  J.  Browne, 
J.  Duling,  &c. 

In  Carolina,  Habersham,  Noisette,  &c. 

In  Georgia,  Maurick,  James  Gardiner,  S.  Grimes. 
Checteau,  M'Call. 

In  New  Jersey,  Cooper  at  Camden.  Another  at  Mount 
Holly. 

In  Ohio,  Gen.  Harrison,  Longworth,  Dufour,  &c. 

In  Indiana,  Rapp  of  Harmony,  the  French  of  Vin- 
cennes. 

In  Alabama,  Dr.  S.  Brown,  and  at  Eagleville. 

16.  The  average  crop  of  wine  with  us  is  300  gallons 
per  acre.  At  York,  where  2700  vines  are  put  on  one 
acre,  each  vine  has  often  produced  a  quart  of  wine,  and 
thus  675  gallons  per  acre,  value  !S675  in  1823,  besides 
S200  for  5000  cuttings.  One  acre  of  vineyard  did  then 
let  for  g200  or  300,  thus  value  of  the  acre  about  §5000! 
This  was  in  poor  soil  unfit  for  wheat,  and  for  mere 
Claret. 

17.  Now  in  1830,  that  common  French  Claret  often 
sells  only  at  50  cents  the  gallon,  the  income  must  be 
less.  I  hope  our  claret  may  in  time  be  sold  for  25  cents 
the  gallon,  and  table  grapes  at  one  cent  the  lb.  and  even 
then  an  acre  of  vineyard  will  give  an  income  of  §75,  and 
be  worth  ^1000  the  acre. 

18.  The  greatest  check  to  this  cultivation  is  the  time 
required  for  grapes  to  bear  well,  from  3  to  6  years  :  our 
farmers  wishing  to  liave  quick  yearly  crops  ;  but  then 
when  a  vineyard  is  set  and  in  bearing,  it  "Cvill  last  for- 
ever, the  vines  themselves  lasting  from  60  to  100  years, 
and  are  easil}^  re-placed  as  they  decay. 

19.  The  next  check  is  the  precarious  crops  if  badly 
managed.  Every  year  is  not  equally  plentiful,  and  some- 


GRAPE  VINES.  45 

times  there  is  a  total  failure  when  rains  drown  the  blos- 
soms ;  but  an  extra  good  crop  of  500  or  600  gallons 
commonly  follows  and  covers  their  loss. 

20.  The  cultivation  of  the  vines  includes  several  con- 
siderations, a  choice  of  ground,  soil,  and  vines,  repair- 
ing the  ground,  planting,  manuring,  dressing,  trimming, 
grafting,  harvesting,  besides  the  diseases  of  the  vines 
and  grapes. 

21.  Vines  may  grow  any  where,  but  do  not  thrive 
equally  every  where.  Table  grapes  thrive  best  in  shel- 
tered gardens,  espaliers,  and  bowers,  producing  more  and 
better  fruit.  Wine  grapes  thrive  best  of  all  on  the  east- 
ern slope  of  hills  exposed  to  the  rising  sun,  and  in  a  vol- 
canic or  gravelly  soil,  producing  stronger  and  better 
\\  ine. 

22.  All  our  native  grapes  will  grow  well  near  to  their 
native  soil,  and  produce  different  wines.  Some  species 
are  peculiar  to  the  Southern  States,  and  will  not  thrive 
so  well  north  of  the  Potomac  and  Ohio  rivers.  They 
grow  spontaneously  in  rich  soils,  or  loam,  sand,  gravel, 
rocks,  near  streams  :  in  fact  every  where,  but  seldom  in 
clay  and  mountains. 

23.  The  best  situations  for  native  vineyards  are  shel- 
tered valleys,  banks  of  streams,  on  the  eastern  and 
southern  sides  of  hills  in  the  Northern  States  ;  but  fur- 
ther South  plains  and  open  grounds  will  do  as  well.  If 
they  have  a  wood  to  the  north  west  or  south  west  to 
shelter  them  from  the  cold  blasts  or  sudden  storms,  so 
much  the  better.  In  the  north  they  may  also  require 
such  shelter  from  the  north  east  storms. 

24.  These  are  the  best  soils  for  them  in  the  order  of 
excellence.  1.  Volcanic,  scarce  with  us.  2.Pseudovol- 
canic,  of  New  York  and  Connecticut.  3.  Granitic,  rot- 
ten rocks.  4.  Sandstone  gravel.  5.  Gravel  and  sand. 
6.  Barren  and  worn  out  soils.  7.  Rich  or  loamy  soils  are 
the  worst,  except  clay  and  damp  or  cold  soils,  which 
always  produce  bad  wine.    Pine  barrens  will  do. 

25.  Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  worst  soils  for  all  other 
agricultural  purposes  are  the  best  for  vines.  Many  mil- 
lions of  acres  of  our  rocky,  gravelly,  or  barren  soils,  now 
haitlly  worth  any  thing,  may  thus,   if  turned  to  vine- 

D   2 


46  VITIS,  OR 

yards,  give  S50  at  least  neat  yearly  income,  becoming 
worth  B500  or  more  an  acre,  at  a  small  expense  of  a  few 
years.  A  single  million  of  acres  of  vines  mio-ht  produce 
yearly  200  millions  of  gallons  of  wine,  worth  S50,000,000 
at  only  25  cents,  and  affording  from  10  to  20  gallons 
yearly  to  each  individual  for  beverage. 

26.  In  the  choice  of  vines,  select  those  that  grow  best 
near  you  or  bear  the  best  fruit.  If  you  find  in  the  woods 
any  vine  bearing  plenty  of  good  grapes,  mark  it,  and 
cut  it  up  into  cuttings  in  the  winter  for  your  use.  It  is 
essential  with  our  wild  grapes  to  see  them  in  fruit,  in 
order  to  ascertain  if  they  are  worth  cultivation,  and  that 
the  mother  vine  is  a  fruitful  one,  there  being  many  ste- 
rile with  us. 

27.  If  we  raise  our  vines  from  seeds,  we  are  never 
sure  to  have  the  same  kind,  a  variety  will  often  spring 
up  :  besides  half  of  those  thus  raised  are  sterile  or  male 
vines  with  us,  which  does  not  happen  with  the  exotic 
grapes.  Moreover,  a  seedling  vine  (unless  grafted)  will 
not  bear  fruit  till  10  or  15  years  old,  while  cuttings  bear 
in  3  to  5  years.  Therefore  seeds  ought  never  to  be  sown 
except  for  experiments. 

28.  Whether  for  gardens  or  vineyards,  let  us  select 
none  but  the  best  kinds  of  exotic  or  American  vines. 
The  ample  account  given  of  them  may  serve  to  guide 
the  choice.  The  very  best  of  our  vines  being  V.  blanda, 
V.  prolifera,  V.  mtiscadina,  V.  ciliata,  V.  dimicUata,  V. 
labruscoides,  V.  longifoUa,  V.  acerifolia,  &c. 

29.  All  vines  may  be  cultivated  alike,  and  bear  very 
different  treatment.  When  allowed  to  grow  over  trees, 
or  on  the  sides  of  a  house,  or  in  bowers,  without  much 
trimming  they  last  several  centuries!  and  a  ^ngle  stock 
may  produce  150lbs.  of  grapes,  giving  10  gallons  of 
wine. 

30.  The  very  best  mode  would  be  to  cultivate  the 
vines  together  with  mulberry  trees,  as  in  Italy,  allowing 
them  to  mingle  and  hang  in  festoons.  This  saves  the 
great  expenses  of  poles  for  support,  and  afford  silk  and 
wine  on  the  same  spot.  One  acre  produces  as  much  in 
this  way  as  if  it  was  a  solitary  vineyard. 

31.  Our  Anjerican  grapes  are  impatient  of  control, 
and  thrive  best  when  left  to  climb  aloft  without  much 


GRAPE  VINES.  47 

trimming.  When  kept  under  as  usual  in  vineyards  by 
annual  cutting,  they  only  last  from  40  to  60  years,  and 
thus  less  than  the  European  vines. 

32.  The  best  foreign  grapes  ought  to  be  raised  in  shel- 
tered gardens  for  table  fruit.  Even  the  most  delicate 
may  be  naturalized  gradually,  by  sowing  the  seeds,  and 
sowing  a  second  or  third  time  the  best  seeds  produced 
in  the  country.  This,  however  effectual,  is  a  very  long 
process,  which  requires  patriotism  and  patience. 

33.  To  prepare  the  ground  for  vines  or  a  vineyard,  a 
crop  of  potatoes  or  turnips  ought  to  be  raised  on  it  be- 
fore planting,  which  improves  and  opens  the  ground,  or 
else  it  ought  to  be  manured  and  ploughed  deep  several 
times  in  the  fall  previous. 

34.  The  best  manure  for  vines  then,  and  at  any  other 
times,  are  composts  made  to  suit  the  soil,  or  mixtures  of 
good  earth,  ashes,  gravel,  sand,  iron  dregs,  rubbish, 
brick  dust,  oyster  shells,  vine  leaves,  and  grape  husks, 
with  a  little  ilung.  If  the  ground  is  rich  of  itself,  it  re- 
quires more  ashes,  sand,  and  other  loosening  manure. 
If  poor,  more  earth  and  dung. 

35.  But  the  very  best  manure  for  vines  are  volcanic 
ashes,  which  might  be  imported  on  purpose  in  ballast, 
from  Naples,  Sicily,  Portugal,  the  Canary  or  Azore  Isl- 
ands. Puzzolana  above  all,  which  is  a  kind  of  it,  useful 
also  for  water  cement.  These  ashes  might  highly  im- 
prove our  wine.  Next  to  them  are  crumbling  iron  stone 
and  granite  ;  also  the  gravel  dregs  of  forges,  or  tlie  pow- 
dered dross.  The  residue  of  the  grapes,  after  mashing 
them  for  wine,  the  lees  of  the  wine  itself,  and  even  the 
decayed  leaves  of  the  vines  are  also  excellent  manures. 

36.  A  regular  vineyard  ought  to  be  in  rows,  if  to  be 
worked  with  a  plough  ;  but  in  Europe,  where  the  hoe  is 
more  commonly  used,  they  often  plant  the  vines  checker 
wise.  The  hoe  is  better  than  the  plough,  because  more 
vines  can  be  planted  on  one  acre,  the  whole  ground  is 
kept  better  open,  and  the  produce  is  greater ;  but  with 
us  the  plough  is  preferred  as  cheaper. 

37.  The  rows  from  5  to  1 0  feet  apart,  and  each  vine 
from  2  to  5  apart:  thus  allowing  from  1200  to  3000  vines 
on  one  acre.  The  more  on  the  acre  the  greater  the  ex- 
penses at  first,  but  also  the  greater  the  produce  after- 


48  VITIS,  OR 

wards.  Each  good  vine  ought  to  bear  from  30  to  60  clus- 
ters of  grapes,  weighing  from  5  to  15lbs. 

38.  The  rows  must  run  north  and  south,  so  as  to  have 
the  full  advantage  of  the  rising  and  setting  sun,  or  else 
from  north  east  to  soutli  west,  so  as  to  be  better  shelter- 
ed from  those  winds  which  with  us  bring  sudden  rains 
and  storms,  while  the  first  protect  the  others  from  the 
bleak  vernal  north  west  wind. 

39.  When  rows  and  vines  are  crowded,  nothing  can 
grow  besides  in  tlie  vineyards  ;  but  3000  vines  in  one 
acre,  if  only  producing  5lbs.  each,  may  give  1000  gal- 
lons of  wine.  While,  when  kept  remote,  many  crops 
can  be  raised  in  the  intervals,  such  as  potatoes,  turnips, 
beans,  &c.  It  is  a  prejudice  to  think  this  injurious  to 
the  vines  :  it  is  not  so,  provided  the  crops  are  such  as 
require  previous  ploughing  and  do  not  shade  the  vines. 

40.  But  different  grapes  must  not  be  planted  pro- 
miscuously, so  as  to  prevent  the  mixture  of  blossoms, 
pollen,  and  change  of  fruit.  Each  kind  ought  to  be  kept 
separate,  and  even  divided  by  fence,  walls,  hedges,  or 
meadows,  forming  a  vineyard  by  itself. 

41.  Plant  the  cuttings  in  pits  or  a  trench  one  or  two 
feet  deep,  made  with  the  hoe  or  plough,  and  filled  with 
good  manured  earth  or  rich  made  soil  with  some  rubbish, 
gravel,  or  ashes  at  the  bottom,  below  the  cuttings. 

42.  The  time  of  planting  is  from  October  to  May:  the 
best  months  are  November  and  March.  If  you  plant  in 
tlie  fall,  cover  each  plant  with  a  little  hillock,  and  unco- 
ver it  in  the  spring.  If  the  weather  be  dry  after  plant- 
ing, water  them. 

43.  Choose  your  cuttings  from  good  vines,  and  strong 
shoots  of  last  years  growth,  from  1 6  to  24  inches  long, 
with  5  or  6  buds.  Let  them  be  cut  smooth  below  at  a 
joint  and  slanting  one  inch  above  the  upper  bud  j  the 
slope  must  be  opposite  to  the  bud,  that  no  bleeding  of 
the  sap  may  follow  it. 

44.  If  the  cuttings  are  to  be  kept  over  wititer,  or  sent 
to  any  distance,  keep  them  in  sand  or  dry  earth,  or  else 
in  moss  or  straw.  They  must  be  kept  dry,  moisture  is 
pernicious,  and  frost  still  worse. 

45.  Put  the  cuttings  in  the  loose  ground  of  the  pit  or 
trench,  at  the  chosen  distance,  in  a  slanting  way,  bend- 


GRAPE  VINES.  49 

ing  the  bottom  of  it  and  pressing  the  earth  close  to  it 
with  the  foot.  Put  the  whole  in  except  the  upper  bud, 
which  is  to  become  the  shoot,  all  the  others,  4  or  5,  are 
to  become  I'oots.  Sometimes  2  buds  may  be  left  out. 

46.  Keep  the  ground  very  clean  and  free  of  weeds  at 
all  times,  but  above  all  the  first  years,  by  working  it 
often  with  the  plough  or  hoe,  or  by  pulling  the  weeds. 
At  the  end  of  the  first  year,  cover  each  vine  with  a  hil- 
lock in  November,  and  uncover  it  the  next  spring. 

47.  Second  year.  Begin  to  preserve  the  vine  either  by 
rubbing  the  buds  or  cutting  weak  shoots,  leaving  only  2 
or  3  strong  buds  or  shoots.  Put  in  the  stakes  or  poles 
on  which  they  are  to  climb.  Plough  or  hoe  the  ground 
and  clear  the  w^eds. 

48.  Third  year.  Rub  off  the  lower  buds  and  prune  the 
side  shoots.  Put  on  cross  poles  if  meant  to  be  used. 
Plough,  hoe,  and  weed.  Many  vines  will  begin  to  beai* 
grapes  this  year, 

49.  The  fourth  year  ought  to  be  the  first  crop,  a  full 
bearing  beginning  at  5  or  6  years  old.  The  annual 
pruning  and  ti-imming  must  then  depend  on  the  mode 
adopted  for  cultivation. 

50.  It  is  well  to  rub  off  in  the  spring  all  the  buds  ex- 
cept such  as  are  meant  to  bear,  in  the  summer  to  cut  off 
all  superfluous  or  weak  shoots  without  blossoms,  and  in 
the  fall  to  make  cuttings  for  planting,  selling,  or  burn- 
ing of  all  shoots  grown  too  long.  But  it  must  be  re- 
membered, that  too  much  pruning  weakens  the  vine  as 
much  as  extra  foliage  and  extra  bearing. 

51.  Trim  the  vines  to  suit  the  chosen  method,  leading, 
bending,  and  fastening  them  over  the  poles,  cross  poles, 
treillisses,  trees,  bowers,  side  walls,  &c.  of  the  vineyard 
or  garden.  The  poles  or  stakes  must  be  of  durable  wood, 
oak,  chesnut,  locust,  or  cedar  with  us  ',  but  need  not  be 
large  nor  thick.  Thin  split  ones  will  do  for  cross  bars. 
Even  canes  and  split  canes  will  do  well,  and  are  com- 
monly used  in  south  Europe  as  cheap  and  light :  the 
large  ones  being  used  for  standing  stakes. 

52.  The  grapes  commonly  grow  on  the  spring  shoots, 
and  these  on  the  last  year  shoots  :  it  is  therefore  need- 
ful to  spare  these  in  pruning.  All  dangling  branches 
must  be  raised  ;  when  trees  are  the  support,  they  may 


50  VITIS,  OR 

be  led  from  one  to  the  other,  still  less  pruning  is  requir- 
ed with  trees  for  support. 

53.  In  warm  countries,  vines  must  be  left  well  shaded 
by  the  leaves.  In  a  cold  climate  or  a  cold  season,  it  is 
usual  to  cut  many  leaves  so  as  to  expose  the  grapes  to 
tlie  sun  to  ripen  well.  Leaves,  shoots,  and  grapes  must 
never  be  pulled,  but  cut  with  the  sickle,  knife,  or  nail. 

54.  In  a  dry  climate,  a  circular  hollow  ought  to  be 
dug  at  the  foot  of  the  vine,  so  as  to  allow  rain  to  collect 
there,  while  in  a  wet  climate  or  season,  the  reverse  is 
needful,  and  a  small  hillock  must  be  raised  around  it. 

55.  When  the  vineyard  is  in  full  bearing,  a  single 
ploughing  or  hoeing  is  required,  very  early  in  the  spring. 
Manuring  is  only  required  once  in  3  or  5  years,  similar 
to  what  has  been  mentioned  already ;  the  whole  ground 
need  not  be  manured,  but  merely  the  foot  of  each  vine 
in  the  winter.  Dung  compost,  in  small  quantity,  is  very 
good. 

56.  Gi-afting  is  needful  upon  bad  or  sterile  vines  or 
seedlings,  &c.  It  must  be  performed  in  March,  with 
good  scions  and  cuttings  by  cleft,  grafting  and  binding 
with  clay  :  also  by  approach  in  a  pot.  Good  grafts  ought 
to  bear  fruit  the  same  year.  In  gardens,  a  variety  of 
grapes  may  thus  be  procured.  Our  wild  vines  are  ex- 
cellent hardy  supports  for  all  exotic  grapes,  which  thus 
become  less  liable  to  early  motions  of  the  sap. 

57.  The  crop  or  harvest  of  grapes  is  called  vintage. 
It  is  always  a  season  of  festivity.  Although  grapes  may 
be  produced  for  eating  from  July  to  November,  the  vin- 
tage is  always  in  September,  when  most  are  ripe.  The 
clusters  are  cut  with  a  knife,  and  carried  in  baskets  to 
the  vat  or  press. 

58.  Many  diseases  attack  the  vines  in  Europe,  and 
several  insects  prey  on  them.  Our  own  vines  are  sel- 
dom liable  to  them,  and  have  fewer  insects  than  any 
other  fruit.  The  worst  diseases  are  the  blight  and  the 
yellows.  -^ 

59.  The  blight  or  mildew  may  affect  the  leaves,  blos- 
soms, and  fiuits.  It  is  always  caused  by  drops  of  rain 
of  a  shower  on  which  a  hot  sun  shines,  which  burns  them 
by  acting  as  a  lens.  The  leaves  and  fruits  become  co- 
vered with  shrivelled  brown  spots.  There  is  hardly  any 


GRAPE  VINES.  51 

remedy  for  this,  but  the  diseased  leaves  and  fruit  ought 
to  be  cut  off. 

60.  Another  kind  of  blight  happens  in  the  critical  time 
of  the  vines  being  in  blossom,  if  a  heavy  shower  then 
falls,  the  pollen  or  farina  is  drowned,  and  cannot  ferti- 
lize the  fruit  buds.  This  sometimes  spoils  the  whole 
crop.  If  we  could  shelter  the  vines  from  our  south  west 
vernal  storms  by  buildings,  walls,  woods,  or  a  thick  fo- 
liage, this  would  seldom  happen.  Never  work  the  vines 
when  in  blossom. 

61.  The  yellows  are  caused  by  the  root  becoming  weak 
by  bad  food  or  overbearing.  The  leaves  then  become 
sickly  and  yellow.  This  is  more  easily  cured  by  re- 
moving the  leaves,  pruning  the  shoots,  cutting  some  clus- 
ters, but  above  all  by  manuring,  removing  the  earth 
from  around  the  root,  and  re-placing  it  with  good  com- 
post. 

62.  Some  small  caterpillars  group  under  the  leaves, 
curl  and  eat  them.  They  must  be  destroyed  by  cutting 
the  leaves  attacked,  and  crushing  the  insects  under  foot. 
Bugs  and  other  insects  feeding  on  the  vines  are  not  dan- 
gerous. No  Aphis  is  found  on  our  vines,  and  no  insects 
destroy  the  roots  nor  the  grapes. 

63.  Depredations  on  the  grapes  when  ripe  is  a  great 
evil,  but  as  this  happens  only  for  a  short  while,  it  must 
be  guarded  against  by  watching  the  vineyards  night  and 
day  as  soon  as  the  grapes  begin  to  get  ripe.  Rural  watch- 
men are  paid  on  purpose  in  Europe.  Dogs  will  not  do, 
because  they  are  fond  of  the  grape.  Foxes  and  birds  are 
also  depredators.  Vineyards  ought  not  to  be  near  roads, 
or  easily  accessible,  on  that  account. 

64.  Let  us  conclude  by  giving  a  pro  forma  account  of 
the  expense  of  forming  and  keeping  up  a  vineyard,  cal- 
culating all  charges  as  cash  to  be  paid,  although  most 
farmers  may  own  the  land,  and  give  their  own  labor,  or 
procure  their  own  cuttings  and  props,  which  will  be  so 
much  less. 

One  acre  of  land,  from           -        -        -  gl  to  10 

Preparing  the  same  and  manure,         -        -  5  to  10 

1000  to  3000  cuttings,  if  bought,     -        -  5  to  30 

Planting  them, 5  to  20 

Expenses  of  first  year,  -         -        gl6  to  70 


52  VITIS,  OR 

Brought  forward,    -         -        -  -         gl6  to  70 

Second  year,  poles,  caues,  &c.            -  -         5  to  10 

Cultivation,  pruning,  &c.       -         -  -             5  to  8 

Third  year,  cultivation,  &c.               -  -         5  to  8 

Fourth  year,  cultivation,  manure,  &c.  5  to  8 

Total,  -  -  g36tol04 

65.  This  shows  the  lowest  and  highest  cost,  the  me- 
dium may  be  ^40  or  50  per  acre.  On  the  fourth  year 
the  income  may  cover  this  whole  cost,  if  it  is  only  150 
gallons  of  wine  at  50  cents  ;  g25  being  deducted  for 
casks  and  making  the  wine. 

66.  On  the  fifth  and  succeeding  years,  the  annual  ex- 
penses will  be  only  from  ^10  to  30,  or  g5  to  10  for  cul- 
tivation, pruning,  manure,  and  the  remainder  for  making 
and  keeping  the  wine,  while  the  income  will  be  from 
SlOO  to  200,  for  2  to  400  gallons  of  wine  at  50  cents,  or 
half  if  only  sold  at  25  cents.  Thus,  at  the  lowest,  leav- 
ing a  yearly  clear  income  of  ^40  to  100,  or  as  much 
yearly  for  ever  as  was  spent  at  first  to  plant  the  vine- 
yard !  The  land  will  be  worth  from  g500  to  1000  the 
acre!  and  may  let  at  g25  to  S50  to  tenants.  Thus 
upon  an  average,  each  vine  is  worth  half  a  dollar,  and 
any  one  who  plants  100,000  vines,  acquires  a  fortune  of 
S50,000,  or  a  clear  yearly  income  of  ^2000  or  more ! 

Section  V.    General  principles  of  Vinijication,  or  the  art 
oj  making  Wine. 

1.  I  do  not  mean  to  give  the  numberless  modes  of  mak- 
ing all  kinds  of  wines  j  but  rather  the  general  principles 
of  the  art,  with  their  application  to  American  wines. 

2.  Whatever  wines  we  make  here,  can  never  be  Bur- 
gundy, nor  Champaigne,  nor  Hock,  nor  Port,  nor  Lis- 
bon, nor  Tin  to,  nor  Madeira,  nor  Malaga,  and  so  forth  -, 
but  American  Wines.  It  is  idle,  it  is  silly,  it  is  need- 
less, and  it  is  a  deceit  to  attempt  it,  or  to  give  them  fo- 
reign names. 

3.  But  we  may  make,  nay,  we  have  already  made,  se- 
veral very  good  American  wines,  quite  peculiar  to  us  ', 
and  we  may  imitate  several  foreign  wines,  such  as  Claret, 


GRAPE  VINES.  53 

Burgundy,  Oporto,  Malmsey,  Carcavelos,  and  many 
more.  Let  us  be  honest  and  give  them  as  such,  with 
pompous  American  names  if  we  like. 

4.  Wines  can  be  made  with  almost  all  juicy  fruits,  al- 
though the  real  wines  are  the  produce  of  the  grapes. 
Thus,  currants,  gooseberries,  elder  berries,  huckle-ber- 
ries,  persimons,  black-berries,  oranges,  peaches,  pears, 
apples,  pine  apples,  &c.  have  all  been  used  to  make  pe- 
culiar wines.     Those  of  apples  and  pears  are  called 

/Cider  and  Perry.  Each  other  kind  ought  to  have  also 
a  peculiar  name,  because  they  all  differ  somewhat  from 
wine. 

5.  These  fruit  or  domestic  wines  will  only  be  men- 
tioned slightly.  The  wine  of  currants  or  Ribesium.,  is 
the  most  important  for  us,  because  it  is  already  often 
made,  is  nearest  to  the  best  grape  wines,  and  can  be 
made  to  any  amount  with  profit.  Several  kinds  are 
made,  which  are  very  good  when  not  spoiled  by  the  ad- 
dition of  brandy,  which  makes  them  firy  and  pernicious* 

6.  Currant  wine  or  Ribesium,  always  requires  water 
and  sugar,  because  currants  contain  malic  acid  and  no 
tartaric  acid.  But  it  requires  no  brandy  nor  whiskey. 
To  make  it  more  like  wine,  some  good  wine,  with  a  lit- 
tle quicklime  and  argol,  may  be  put  into  it  before  fer- 
mentation. 

7.  Mr.  Dyers'  currant  yard  near  Providence,  Rhode 
Island,  may  be  mentioned  as  an  example  worthy  of  imi- 
tation. This  yard  contains  40  acres;  each  acre  has 
1400  currant  bushes,  and  produces  yearly  120  to  150 
bushels  of  fruit,  which,  with  water  and  4000lbs.  of  su- 
gar, make  about  1600  gallons  of  wine  from  each  acre, 
selling  at  75  cents  and  one  dollar  per  gallon.  Thus  each 
acre  producing  ^1200,  or  S800,  deducting  the  cost  of 
sugar,  casks,  cultivation,  &c.  as  I  was  informed. 

8.  At  this  rate,  the  whole  yard  would  give  64,000  gal- 
lons of  wine,  and  an  income  of  §32,000 !  if  all  made  into 
wine  and  sold.  Mr.  Dyers  makes  two  kinds  of  wine, 
Groseille,  or  Red  Ribesium,  and  Malmsey,  or  White  Ri- 
besium. He  uses  no  brandy  nor  strong  liquors.  Both 
are  excellent,  and  equal  to  many  fine  foreign  wines.  He 
exports  much  of  it  to  the  West  Indies.  Is  not  this  a  pro- 
fitable industry  ? 

E 


54  VITIS,  OR 

9.  Wine  making  is  a  chemical  operation,  in  which  a 
due  proportion  of  needful  elements  is  essentially  requi- 
site. No  liquor  is  a  wine  unless  it  has  undergone  the 
real  vinous  fermentation. 

10.  The  needful  elements  of  fermentation  are,  1.  Su- 
gar. 2.  Water.  3.  Tartaric  acid.  4.  Mucilage.  The  ad- 
ventitious elements,  which  may  or  may  not  exist,  are 
tannin,  potash,  carbonic  and  malic  acids,  arome,  color- 
ing principle,  &c. 

11.  The  Must  is  the  liquor  produced  by  grapes.  A 
perfect  Must  ought  to  have  a  due  proportion  of  the  four 
elements  of  wine.  When  deficient  in  any,  it  ought  to 
be  supplied,  if  we  want  to  make  good  wine.  If  any  ele- 
ment is  in  excess,  it  ought  to  be  corrected. 

12.  The  due  proportion  of  sugar  or  sweet  principle,  is 
3lb.  in  one  gallon  of  Must.  When  less,  the  Must  makes 
a  very  dry  or  weak  wine,  when  more,  a  very  svveet 
wine.  The  sugar  is  changed  by  fermentation  into  alco- 
hol, chemically  combined  in  the  wine,  and  only  evolved 
as  a  vapor  by  fire  or  the  process  of  distilling.  In  all 
sweet  wines,  a  portion  of  the  sugar  is  not  decomposed, 
still  more  involving  and  weakening  the  alcohol. 

13.  The  due  proportion  of  tartaric  acid  and  mucilage 
does  not  exceed  5  per  cent,  of  each.  The  excess  of  tar- 
taric acid  makes  the  wine  sour  or  acid.  When  deficient, 
or  supplied  by  malic  acid,  the  wine  is  deficient  in  body 
and  strength.  Malic  acid  changes  wine  into  cider  li- 
quors ;  grapes  have  little  malic  acid,  whence  best  to 
make  wine. 

14.  Currants,  gooseberries,  blackberries,  apples,  &c. 
containing  too  niuch  malic  acid,  and  no  tartaric  acid,  can 
never  make  but  bad  and  sharp  cider  wines  by  them- 
selves ;  but  by  the  addition  of  quicklime,  the  acid  is 
absorbed  and  corrected,  the  tartaric  acid  may  be  sup- 
plied ;  water  dilutes  the  juice,  and  sugar  strengthens  it, 
whereby  imitation  wines  are  made. 

15.  When  mucilage  is  deficient,  no  due  fermentation 
can  take  place.  The  substitution  of  yeast  spoils  the 
wine,  and  gives  to  it  the  flatness  of  beer.  Mucilage  is 
rather  to  be  supplied  by  dissolved  gum,  in  case  of  need. 
An  excess  of  mucilage  produces  only  a  greater  quantity 


'r^vj. 


GRAPE  VINES.  55 

wFlees.  Wine  hardly  i-etains  any  mucilage  when  clear; 
it  ought  to  be  precipitated  in  the  process  of  fermentation 
and  clarification  along  with  tartar  and  potash. 

16.  Tannin,  or  the  astringent  principle,  is  communi- 
cated to  wine  by  the  peduncles,  husks,  and  seeds,  whence 
rough  wines  are  made,  such  as  Port.  Delicate  wines 
ought  to  have  no  perceptible  astringency  or  roughness, 
and  the  seeds  ought  not  to  be  bruised  in  mashing  the 
grapes,  nor  allowed  to  fall  in  the  Must,  nor  the  husks 
neither. 

17.  The  arome,  or  peculiar  taste  and  smell  of  wines, 
also  called  flavor  and  bouquet,  is  produced  by  a  fixed 
oil,  different  in  almost  every  kind  of  grape  and  wine.  A 
peculiar  grateful  flavor  and  scent  enhances  the  value  of 
wine  many  fold,  (witness  Tokay)  and  all  excellent  wines 
ought  to  have  this  quality. 

18.  To  preserve  the  arome  of  wines,  it  is  needful  to 
stop  the  fermentation  before  the  natural  end  of  it;  and  to 
procure  it  to  deficient  grapes,  some  peculiar  flavored 
substance  must  be  immersed  in  the  Must  while  ferment- 
ing. In  this  depends  the  art  or  secret  of  making  valua- 
ble wines,  worth  from  gl  to  5  a  gallon,  instead  of  5  to 
25  cents.  Each  celebrated  vineyard  has  a  peculiar  secret 
process.  Time  and  experience  alone  can  teach  us  this 
secret  art  to  its  full  extent. 

19.  Yet  we  know  the  substances  employed  ;  they  are 
oil  of  best  grapes,  vine  blossoms,  Reseda,  or  Mignonette, 
cowslip  blossoms  or  Primula,  elder  blossoms,  violets, 
oris  root  or  Iris  florentina,  raspberries,  strawberries, 
&c.  In  Cyprus,  they  are  Smilax  blossoms.  In  Xeres, 
Madeira,  and  Marsala,  bitter  almonds  are  employed. 
These  substances  are  suspended  in  the  casks  in  bags, 
while  fermentation  is  proceeding. 

20.  Our  best  native  grapes  give  to  our  wines  a  peculiar 
grateful  flavor  similar  to  raspberries.  Our  fox  grapes, 
with  a  musky  or  foxy  taste,  impart  to  their  wine  a  Mus- 
catel flavor,  somewhat  similar  to  Constantia.  Our  fine 
scented  vine  blossoms,  even  when  dried,  give  a  rich 
grateful  flavor  and  scent  to  our  wines.  To  currant  wine, 
which  is  made  when  the  vines  are  in  bloom,  these  fresh 
blossoms  may  give  a  flavor  near  to  Tokay  wine. 


56  VITIS,  OR 

21.  The  coloring  principle  is  immaterial  to  wines. 
There  are  wines  of  all  colors,  clear  as  water,  white,  yel- 
low, green,  hyacinth,  red,  brown,  black,  &c.  These 
colors  do  not  impart  any  value  to  wine  3  although  the 
finest  and  dearest  wines  are  commonly  pale,  yet  Con- 
stantia  and  Lachrynia,  &c.  are  red. 

22.  Some  wines  lose  their  color  or  change  it  by  age. 
Any  wine  catx  be  made  colorless,  or  clear  as  water  by 
infiltration  through  animal  charcoal  or  ivory  black.  It 
may  be  colored  afterwards  to  any  shade  of  yellow  by 
burnt  sugar,  and  any  shade  of  red  by  cochineal  or  Bra- 
zil wood.  The  red  Champaigne  is  colored  by  elder- 
berries juice,  boiled  with  tartar,  a  few  drops  are  suffi- 
cient to  color  a  bottle  of  wine.  Some  kind  of  grapes  are 
used  to  color  pale  wines. 

23.  Therefore,  the  essential  operations  to  correct  a 
bad  Must,  or  to  make  a  good  Must  and  wine,  are  to  ob- 
viate any  deficiency  in  the  juice  of  the  grapes  or  other 
fruits,  by  supplying  the  due  proportion  of  sugar,  tartaric 
acid,  mucilage,  and  water  that  may  be  lacking,  besides 
destroying  or  absorbing  the  malic  acid,  avoiding  the 
mixture  of  tannin,  and  procuring  a  grateful  aroma. 

24.  The  art  of  wine  making  includes,  besides  this  fun- 
damental knowledge,  many  practical  operations,  such  as 
gathering  the  grapes,  carrying  them,  extracting  the  juice, 
mending  it,  fermenting  the  liquor,  fining  and  clarifying, 
preserving  the  wine,  obviating  the  defects  and  diseases. 
It  is  even  a  part  of  this  art  how  to  drink  the  different 
wines. 

25.  Carbonic  acid  is  always  evolved  in  the  act  of  fer- 
mentation, and  escapes  with  some  alcohol  by  evapora- 
tion. When  restrained  and  prevented  from  escaping,  it 
produces  the  brisk  and  sparkling  wines.  When  fermen- 
tation is  allowed  to  take  its  course,  all  the  carbonic  acid 
disappears. 

26.  Grapes  ought  to  be  gathered  in  the  day  time  and 
a  dry  fair  day.  For  the  best  wines,  none  but  the  sound 
clusters  are  to  be  used  ;  for  the  very  best,  the  sound 
grapes  ought  to  be  separated  from  the  peduncles,  which 
are  to  be  thrown  away.  Grapes  are  to  be  carried  to  the 
vats  or  presses  in  baskets,  without  being  crowded  and 
bruised.     If  dirty,  they  ought  to  be  washed. 


GRAPE  VINES.  57 

27.  The  thin  skin  grapes  require  peculiar  care  in 
handling.  Our  native  grapes  have  ali  a  thick  skin,  and 
require  little  care.  Tokay  and  some  other  delicate  wines, 
are  made  with  grapes  so  soft  as  to  drop  their  juice  by 
their  mere  weight.  All  wines  thus  made  without  mash- 
ing, were  called  Protopion  by  the  ancient  Greeks  ;  they 
are  the  very  best. 

28.  Must  and  wine  are  made  not  only  with  ripe  grapes, 
but  also  with  unripe  ones,  also  shrivelled  or  over  ripe 
ones  from  the  vines,  grapes  kept  on  straw,  scalded  or 
half  dried  grapes,  nay,  even  with  raisins  and  vine  leaves. 
Very  different  wines  are  thus  made. 

29.  Green  and  unripe  grapes  make  dry  light  wines, 
similar  to  Champaigne,  Hock,  Rhenish,  Moselle,  and* 
Graves.  Their  elements  are  similar  to  currants  and 
gooseberries,  composed  of  pure  acid  and  extract,  but  de- 
ficient in  sugar,  wliich  must  be  added,  else  their  Must  is 
nothing  but  verjuice.  All  our  acid  wild  grapes,  sour 
even  when  ripe,  have  a  similar  juice,  and  may  make  a 
red  dry  wine  with  sugar. 

30.  The  due  proportion  is  40lbs.  of  fruit  to  5  gallons 
of  water,  added  by  degrees  while  mashing.  Then  add 
SOlbs.  of  sugar,  half  a  pound  of  crude  tartar,  the  whole 
should  make  10  gallons  of  Must  at  least.  Keep  12 
hours,  strain,  put  in  a  tub  or  vat,  cover  with  a  blanket 
and  boards,  keep  two  days,  put  next  in  casks  with  a 
vent  hole  and  peg.  Decant  in  December,  fine  it  several 
times,  and  bottle  in  March.  If  too  sweet,  ferment  again 
before  fining  by  exposure  to  air  and  heat  upon  the  lees. 

31.  All  grapes  shrivelled  or  OA'^er  ripe  make  good  strong 
wines  often  sweet.  Some  grapes  thus  used,  produce 
very  valuable  wines,  but  the  quantity  is  always  less. 
They  never  require  addition  of  sugar.  Raisin  wine  is 
seldom  made,  although  many  good  sweet  wines  can  be 
made  with  them.  Raisins  must  be  scalded,  pressed,  and 
the  juice  treated  as  common  Must. 

32.  The  wine  of  vine  leaves  and  tendrils  is  altogether 
artificial  :  it  is  brisk  like  Champaigne.  The  process  is 
to  infuse  lOOlbs.  of  leaves  and  tendrils  for  24  hours  in 
16  gallons  of  water,  poured  boiling  hot  over  them.  Press 
them  twice  very  hard,  add  to  the  juice  50lbs.  of  sugar, 
and  water  sufficient  to  make  up  20  gallons  of  Must. 

E  2 


58  VITIS,  OR 

Then  ferment  it  as  above  for  green  grape  wine.  If  a 
sweet  wine  is  desired,  more  sugar  is  required,  and  the 
termentation  must  be  stopped  by  racking  in  sulphured 
casks  • 

33.  There  are  many  ways  to  procure  the  juice  of  ripe 
grapes.  Mashing  is  the  most  ancient,  and  as  yet,  the 
most  usual.  Tliis  is  done  for  common  and  cheap  wines 
by  trampling  the  grapes  under  naked  feet  over  the 
boards  ol  the  vats,  where  they  are  heaped,  by  walking- 
and  dancing  over  Ihem.  Although  this  antique  process 
appears  not  very  clean,  yet  it  is  not  more  unclean  than 
kneading  the  bread  dough  with  the  hands,  and  besides 
the  fermentaton  purifies  the  juice  completely. 

34.  But  for  the  best  or  valuable  wines,  the  grapes  are 
mashed  by  rollers  in  a  trough,  or  a  peculiar  press  with  a 
circular  trough.  Juicy  grapes  are  very  easily  mashed  j 
tlie  hard  or  tough  grapes  even  require  but  little  pres- 
sure, and  nothing  like  apples  for  cider.  Our  fox  grapes 
with  tough  pulp,  require  rather  to  be  left  standing  after 
bruising  or  mashing,  so  as  to  allow  the  pulp  to  dissolve, 
before  the  juice  is  extracted. 

S5.  In  no  case  are  the  seeds  to  be  bruised,  else  the 
wine  will  be  rough  and  harsh  :  thus  any  hard  pressure 
that  might  mash  the  seeds  and  husks  is  to  be  avoided. 
AVhen  the  seeds  fall  in  the  vats,  and  are  allowed  to  re- 
main there  during  the  fermentation,  they  impart  an  aus- 
tere taste  to  the  wine.  It  is  therefore  essential  to  avoid 
seeds,  husks,  and  peduncles,  in  making  delicate  wines, 
unless  we  wish  to  imitate  Port  wine.  This  may  be  done 
by  straining. 

36.  Commonly  fifteen  pounds  of  grapes  ought  to  afford 
one  gallon  of  Must,  and  5  gallons  of  Must  ought  to  give 
4  gallons  of  wine,  after  fermenting,  settling,  and  fining. 
But  juicy  grapes  give  more,  and  tough  grapes  less,  thus 
trom  12  to  18lbs.  of  grapes  may  give  a  gallon  of  Must. 

37.  A  deficient  Must  may  be  mended  by  the  rules 
already  stated.  It  is  then  ^  that  sugar,  water,  brandy, 
lime,  scented  substances,  &c.  may  be  introduced  to  ad- 
vantage before  fenuentation,  so  as  to  incorporate  well, 
which  can  never  be  done  after  it. 

38.  Sugar  is  not  the  leaven  of  wine,  as  often  errone- 
ously supposed,  but  the  parent  of  strength  and  alcohol, 


GRAPE  VINES.  59 

into  whicli  it  is  changed  bj  fermentation.  Therefore, 
adding  sugar  to  the  Must,  if  not  sweet  enough,  is  equal 
to  giving  strength  to  it,  and  is  by  ftir  preferable  to  add- 
ing brandy  then  or  afterwards. 

39.  Sugar  is  seldom  added  to  weak  wines  in  Europe, 
because  it  is  too  dear  :  while  brandy  is  added  because  it 
is  cheap.  We  may  easily  avoid  this  error  in  America, 
where  the  reverse  happens.  In  Spain,  they  often  add 
the  brandy  to  the  Must,  this  makes  Sherry  tolerable. 
In  Port,  Madeira,  &c.  the  brandy  is  added  after  fer- 
mentation, and  thus  they  become  Wine  Grogs! 

40.  Any  other  spirituous  liquors  added  to  the  Must 
or  wine  besides  brandy,  spoils  the  wine  completely  j 
rum  and  whiskey,  above  all,  give  a  very  bad  burning 
taste.  Peach  brandy  is  used  for  our  Scupernong  wine, 
wlwch  spoils  it  also  and  makes  it  firy. 

41.  In  many  countries,  a  part  of  the  Must  is  boiled  to 
condense  the  sugar  of  it,  and  then  added  to  the  whole  to 
strengthen  the  wine.  This  is  a  very  old  and  very  good 
practice  ;  but  since  sugar  is  now  in  general  use,  and  so 
cheap,  it  is  hardly  needful.  When  the  whole  Must  is 
boiled,  very  sweet  wines  are  produced. 

42.  To  know  the  strength  of  the  Must,  which  varies 
every  year,  let  it  be  weighed  with  the  hydrometer  or 
any  other  means.  A  good  Must  ought  to  weigh  at  least 
one  tenth  more  than  water,  or  1.100  up  to  1.140  when 
water  weighs  1.000.  Or  if  a  gallon  of  water  weighs  8lbs. 
a  gallon  of  good  Must  ought  to  weigh  9lbs. :  the  more 
the  weight  the  better,  and  greater  the  strength.  When- 
ever an  egg  floats  in  the  Must,  the  weight  is  1.125.  Our 
wild  grapes  give  a  Must  of  1.040  to  1.100  weight,  the 
Muscadine  or  Scupernong  is  only  1.040. 

43.  By  a  simple  yearly  trial,  we  may  thus  know  the 
state  of  our  Must,  and  now  much  sugar  is  required  to 
give  it  a  proper  strength.  This  will  vary  from  4  to  20 
ounces  per  gallon,  in  order  to  produce  strong  excellent 
wines.  Many  of  our  grapes,  however,  can  produce  good 
thin  clarets  without  sugar,  like  common  French  and  Ita- 
lian wines  ;  but  if  superior  wines  are  wanted,  sugar  be- 
comes needful.  Every  4  ounces  of  sugar  per  gallon  in- 
creases the  weight  of  Must  11  in  1.000,  or  above  1  per 
cent. 


60  VITIS,  OR 

44.  Water  is  seldom  wanted  to  dilute  the  Must,  unless 
to  make  Piquette,  or  a  very  thin  poor  wine,  in  quantity 
rather  than  quality.  Coarse  sugar  is  the  best  to  sweeten 
the  Must,  because  it  contains  mucilage.  Syrup  will  do 
as  well  'f  but  molasses  will  not  do,  unless  deprived  of 
their  bad  taste  by  charcoal.  Honey  gives  a  flat  taste  to 
wine.  Our  maple  sugar  will  do  very  well,  and  also  the 
fresh  syrup  or  molasses  of  maple. 

45.  Mucilage  is  the  leaven  of  wine  ;  it  separates  by 
fermentation  into  lees  that  sink,  and  froth  or  yeast  that 
rises.  Whenever  mucilage  remains  in  the  wine,  it  is 
liable  to  ferment  again  even  in  bottles,  therefore,  the 
whole  must  be  separated  by  racking  and  fining.  If  a 
second  fermentation  is  needed,  it  may  be  produced  by 
putting  any  wine  over  lees,  and  mixing  them  by  rolling 
the  casks. 

46.  Yeast  of  beer  must  never  be  used  for  any  wine, 
not  even  currant  wine  ;  it  gives  a  bitter  taste  of  hops, 
an  ammoniacal  flavor  and  flatness.  A  wine  leaven,  use- 
ful for  all  artificial  wines,  may  be  prepared  by  drying 
the  lees  and  froth  of  wine  :  it  may  be  kept  long  for  use. 

47.  So  true  are  these  principles,  that  sugar  and  vege- 
table mucilage  or  extract  may  form  wine  alone  with  wa- 
ter, but  tartar  adds  to  the  strength  and  helps  the  fer- 
mentation by  promoting  the  change  of  sugar  into  alcohol. 
But  such  artificial  wine  would  be  tasteless  unless  flavor- 
ed by  fruits. 

48.  Sweet  wines  are  the  best  of  all  wines,  because  the 
whole  sugar  has  not  been  converted  into  alcohol,  either 
by  a  deficiency  of  mucilage  or  by  the  fermentation  being 
suspended  before  the  end  of  it :  which  may  be  done  at 
any  time  by  decanting  or  separating  the  liquor  from  the 
lees  and  froth,  then  straining  or  filtering,  clarifying  and 
sulphuring. 

49.  Whenever  tartar  must  be  added,  crude  tartar  is 
the  best,  because  it  contains  some  mucilage  of  the  grapes. 
Cream  of  tartar  is  not  so  good,  although  it  is  said  to  pro- 
mote the  briskness  or  sparkling  property. 

50.  Quicklime  is  the  ingredient  commonly  used  to 
correct  the  acidity  of  some  grapes  :  but  if  not  used  spa- 
ringly it  gives  a  bad  urinous  taste  to  wine.  In  Spain, 
they  only  sprinkle  the  grapes  with  it.     In  France,  they 


GRAPE  VINES.  61 

put  one  gjillon  of  slacked  lime  for  100  gallons  of  wine. 
Pidgeon  dung,  being  almost  pure  lime,  is  often  used  for 
the  same  purpose.  It  is  often  collected  and  sold  for 
this  purpose  in  Europe.  If  not  sparingly  used,  the  urin- 
ous taste  is  still  worse  in  the  wine.  Ground  plaster  is 
also  used. 

51.  Turpentine,  tar,  firwood,  &c.  cover  the  acidity 
of  wine,  but  impart  to  it  the  tarry  taste.  This  is  the 
great  defect  of  common  Grecian  wines  ;  but  the  Greeks 
do  not  dislike  that  taste.  Our  spruce  twigs  would  give 
to  our  wines  the  taste  of  spruce  beer. 

52.  The  best  heat  for  fermentation  is  variable.  It 
merely  begins  at  54  degrees  F.  and  is  very  slow  till  60 
degrees  :  from  this  up  to  100  degrees  it  improves  j  the 
greater  the  heat  in  the  vintage  time,  the  quicker  and 
the  more  violent  is  the  fermentation,  and  the  wine  is 
commonly  the  better  for  it.  The  froth  of  fermentation, 
when  allowed  to  escape,  makes  the  wine  sweeter,  when 
kept  in  the  wine,  drier. 

53.  Fermentation  ought  to  be  carried  on  under  sheds, 
in  the  open  air,  and  in  close  vessels,  with  bungs,  spile 
holes,  pegs,  or  safety  valves.  The  larger  the  casks  the 
sooner  it  is  completed,  whence  the  usual  use  of  vats  or 
large  tuns  and  tubs,  holding  1000  gallons  or  more.  Light 
brisk  wines,  like  Burgundy  and  Champaigne,  are  allow- 
ed to  remain  only  for  a  few  hours,  (from  6  to  24)  in  the 
vats.  White  wine  only  36  hours.  Red  wine  from  2  to  5 
days. 

54.  Wines  removed  from  the  vat  to  casks  after  strain- 
ing through  the  hair  sieve,  will  continue  in  a  slow  state 
of  fermentation,  depositing  lees  and  throwing  froth.  If 
the  froth  is  removed  repeatedly,  or  the  wine  often  chang- 
ed from  cask  to  cask,  it  will  ultimately  cease.  The  casks 
are  kept  in  cellars,  wells,  or  cool  stores. 

55.  The  choice  of  casks  is  not  useless.  Old  casks  are 
always  preferred.  New  casks,  unless  burnt,  communi- 
cate a  taste  and  color  to  wine,  therefore,  the  inside 
ought  always  to  be  charred  ;  the  best  casks  are  made  of 
oak  or  chesnut  staves  ;  the  larger  they  are  the  better, 
for  the  sake  of  uniformity  in  the  wine. 

56.  Each  change  of  casks  leaving  the  lees  behind,  is 
called  a  racking,  the  best  wines  require  several,  and 


62  VITIS,  OR 

thus  a  set  of  casks  on  purpose.  Sulphuring  is  the  ope- 
ration by  which  a  cask  or  the  wine  is  impregnated  with 
sulphuric  acid,  whereby  the  mucilage  is  precipitated  and 
the  fermentation  stopped.  The  black  oxide  of  manga- 
nese has  the  same  properties. 

57.  A  sulphuring  liquor  may  be  made  by  the  action  of 
sulphuric  acid  on  saw  dust,  the  fumes  being  conveyed  to 
the  wine,  and  some  of  the  dust  liquid  thrown  in  it. 
However,  the  most  usual  mode  is  to  fumigate  the  empty 
cask,  before  racking,  by  burning  sulphur  matches  in 
them. 

58.  Another  mode  has  lately  been  found  to  destroy 
fermentation  in  wine  or  other  liquors,  or  even  to  prevent 
it  altogether.  It  is  the  use  of  Sulphite  of  Potash  (not 
the  sulphate)  diluted  in  them.  A  single  ounce  weight  of 
it  will  do  for  600  or  800  gallons. 

59.  Fining  or  clarifying  the  wine  is  the  next  opera- 
tion, and  always  needful  before  bottling.  Many  sub- 
stances are  employed,  sand,  gypsum,  fishglue  or  isinglass, 
salt,  gum,  starch,  rice,  milk,  cnarcoal,  albumen  or  white 
of  eggs,  ox  blood,  ^c.  They  all  act  in  the  same  way, 
by  precipitating  the  tartar,  acid,  and  every  remain  of 
mucilage  :  whereby  the  turbid  wine  becomes  perfectly 
clear  and  transparent. 

60.  The  use  of  these  substances  is  optional,  the  cheap- 
est being  most  frequently  used.  They  must  be  dissolved 
in  wine  before  mixing,  and  are  all  precipitated  them- 
selves. The  proportion  required  depends  on  the  foul- 
ness of  the  wine  :  they  may  be  added  by  degrees.  Eggs 
and  milk  are  the  best.  The  ox  blood  and  salt  give  a  bad 
taste  to  delicate  wines.  Isinglass  may  destroy  the  aro- 
ma, if  not  sparingly  used. 

61.  The  acid  fermentation  of  wine,  whereby  they  are 
changed  into  vinegar,  takes  place  when  there  is  too 
much  water  in  it,  when  the  vinous  fermentation  has  been 
imperfect  in  weak  wines,  or  when  the  leaven  predomi- 
nates over  the  sugar.  Vinegar  may  even  be  produced 
by  mixing  brandy  and  milk,  or  by  passing  the  compound 
carbonic  acid  gas  of  the  vinous  fermentation  through 
water  and  mucilage. 

62.  No  acetic  fermentation  can  take  place  as  long  as 
there  is  a  portion  of  undecomposed  sugar  in  the  wine  : 


GRAPE  VINES.  63 

^vhence  the  need  of  stopping  fermentation  before  it  is 
quite  decomposed.  Sweet  wines  never  change  into  vine- 
gar. Sugar  put  into  light  and  dry  wines  prevents  the 
acetic  fermentation  ;  but  if  put  in  after  it  has  begun,  it 
increases  it.  Charcoal,  plaster,  and  lime  must  then  be 
used  to  absorb  the  acid.     Brandy  is  of  no  use  then. 

63.  The  fretting  of  the  wines  in  the  spring  after  vin- 
tage, is  a  second  slow  fermentation.  It  is  the  best  time 
then  to  bottle  brisk  wines,  to  give  flavor  to  insipid  wines 
by  immersions  of  odorous  substances,  and  to  clear  the 
whole  mucilage  by  fining,  else  the  wine  may  fret  and 
become  pungent. 

64.  Sherry  wines  are  made  by  sprinkling  the  grapes 
with  brandy  and  wine,  some  brandy  is  put  in  the  Must ; 
several  rackings,  at  one  month's  interval,  with  some  bran- 
dy added  each  time.  This  is  the  least  objectionable 
mode  of  making  strong  wines,  yet  the  brandy  is  not  to- 
tally incorporated.  In  Vidonia,  Sercial,  Madeira,  Te- 
nenife.  Port,  Fayal,  &c.  the  same  precautions  are  seldom 
used,  and  the  brandy  put  in  is  only  diluted  :  whence 
their  unhealthy  and  pernicious  use.  Brandy  can  only 
be  put  in  strong  wines  to  make  them  still  stronger  :  be- 
cause it  decomposes  and  destroys  all  the  delicate  fine 
wines  like  Claret,  Burgundy,  Champaigne,  Hock,  &tc. 

65.  The  mixture  of  wines  can  be  subject  to  no  rules, 
as  it  may  be  varied  in  numberless  ways.  Many  wines 
are  only  used  for  mixing  and  improving  (or  spoiling) 
others.  Some  dark  wines  serve  to  color  the  pale  clarets. 
The  Catalonia  is  made  into  Port,  with  brandy  and  log- 
wood. Nay,  it  is  said  that  much  Port  is  drank  in  Eng- 
land, which  has  no  wine  at  all  in  it !  Madeira  is  made 
with  TenerifFe,  brandy,  and  Prussic  acid!  Thus  drunk- 
ards are  gratified  and  poisoned. 

66.  The  only  proper  mixtures  of  wine  ought  to  im- 
prove them.  This  may  be  done  by  adding  some  good 
wine,  or  some  essence  of  wine,  or  oil  of  wine,  to  wines  of 
inferior  quality.  The  essence  of  pure  excellent  wines, 
concentrated  by  frost,  is  the  most  valuable  addition  to 
any  kind.  The  art  of  mixing  wines  and  grapes  is  the 
practical  secret  of  vineyards. 

67.  All  poor  wines,  whether  thin  or  brisk,  do  not  keep 
long,  and  ought  to  be  drank  new.     The  best  wines  are 


64  VITIS,  OR  GRAPE  VINES. 

those  that  keep  well,  and  are  improved  bj  age  and  a  sea 
voyage  :  they  are  commonly  sweet  and  rich.  These  best 
wines  must  be  drank  alone,  in  small  glasses,  like  cor- 
dials. Good  table  wines  ought  to  bear  from  3  to  6  times 
their  bulk  of  water,  to  be  improved  by  it,  and  always  drank 
with  it. 

68.  Delicate  and  superior  wines  ought  to  be  bottled  as 
soon  as  perfectly  clear  and  6  to  9  months  old,  particu- 
larly if  to  be  transported.  Common  wines  ought  to  be 
kept  or  sent  in  barrels  or  quarter  casks.  Large  casks 
are  only  useful  at  the  vineyards.  Some  wines  improve 
by  travelling,  and  are  better  than  on  the  spot  j  this  they 
owe  to  the  shaking  and  time  elapsed. 

69.  Mustiness,  harshness,  acidity,  and  ropiness  are 
the  four  principal  diseases  of  wines.  When  wines  ac- 
quire a  musty  or  bad  taste,  they  may  be  restored  by 
charcoal  and  toasted  bread  put  in  gradually.  To  mend 
harsh  wines,  put  in  it  gradually  milk,  salt,  and  sand.  If 
too  acid,  sugar,  lime,  or  ground  gypsum,  or  add  sweet 
wine  to  it.  Lead  formerly  used,  is  a  poison,  and  must 
never  be  employed,  as  it  makes  the  wines  deleterious, 
producing  cholics,  &c.  When  wines  get  ropy,  they  must 
be  fined  or  clarified  again. 

70.  To  recapitulate.  Wine  is  as  easy  to  make  as 
cider,  notwithstanding  such  needful  cares.  Very  little 
additional  trouble  will  produce  superior  wines,  of  double 
value  at  least.  The  same  grapes  may  produce  several 
kinds,  white  or  red,  sweet  or  dry,  rough  or  sparkling, 
according  to  the  mode  of  fermenting.  Sugar  must  be 
used  to  strengthen  the  wines,  and  never  brandy.  It  is . 
worth  while  to  attend  to  the  quality  rather  than  the 
quantity.  Time  and  experience  will  teach  us  still  better 
the  practical  details. 


THE    END. 


ADDITIONS  TO  THIS  MANUAL. 


1.  Bruce,  in  his  travels,  mentions  that  a  small  black 
and  sweet  Grape  is  wild  all  over  Tigreh  in  Abyssinia. 

2.  The  red  coloring  matter  of  the  skins  of  black  Grapes 
is  soluble  in  alcohol,  it  crystallizes  and  is  a  peculiar  sub- 
stance Vitine,  near  to  Hematine. 

3.  Inferior  Brandy  is  often  made  with  the  lees  of 
Wine. 

4.  The  carbonic  acid  gas  produced  by  fermentation  is 
dangerous  if  breathed,  and  may  asphyxiate. 

5.  The  substances  used  to  colorate  Wines  are  black 
grapes,  elder  berries,  mulberries,  poke  berries,  privet 
berries,  Brazil  wood,  &c.  Poke  gives  a  bad  taste. 

6.  A  new  process  has  been  invented  in  France  to  fer- 
ment Wines  in  close  vessels,  with  caps  and  refrigerants 
like  stills,  in  order  to  keep  in  the  aroma  and  make  bet- 
ter Wines. 

7.  A  piece  of  Ice  put  in  the  Wine  in  casks  prevents 
acidity  in  summer. 

8.  Wine  acquiring  the  taste  of  wood  by  being  put  in 
new  casks  not  charred,  may  be  restored  by  shifting  into 
old  casks  over  good  lees,  with  a  little  sweet  oil  added  ; 
oil  is  also'good  for  mustiness  and  bad  taste  of  all  Wines. 

9.  Cream  of  tartar  put  in  boiled  Wine,  and  thrown  in 
the  casks,  corrects  the  ropiness  and  fatness  of  Wines. 

10.  Vine  leaves  are  much  liked  by  cattle  and  horses: 
their  taste  is  acid  acerb,  owing  to  the  surtartrate  of  pot- 
ash and  other  salts.  They  were  formerly  used  for  diar- 
rhea and  in  chronic  catarrh. 

1 1.  The  sugar  of  potato  starch  is  extensively  used  now 
in  France  to  ameliorate  Wines,  and  is  found  the  best  of 
all  sugars  for  that  purpose. 

12.  This  sugar  is  very  easily  made  by  boiling  one  part 
of  starch  in  four  parts  of  water,  with  a  little  sulphuric 
acid,  saturation  of  the  acid  by  lime  water,  and  clarifica- 
tion, evaporation,  &.c.  as  usual. 


